


Miraculous Team: Halloween Madness

by SonicPossible00



Series: Miraculous Team [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe, Antelope, Arachnid, Ari - Freeform, Chocolate, Corbeau Noire, Dragonfly, F/F, F/M, Flint - Freeform, Forest Doe, Ghosts, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Halloween Town, Kwamis - Freeform, Louve Grise, Madame Romani, Mika - Freeform, Multi, Mummies, Muria, Paris (City), Paris - Freeform, Party, Pin, Spirits, Tamara - Freeform, Vampires, Werewolves, daria - Freeform, flamingo, grizzly bear - Freeform, imp, mulan - Freeform, reptile - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-27 12:34:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 136,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12582004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonicPossible00/pseuds/SonicPossible00
Summary: Sequel of Miraculous Team: Secrets Keepers. Halloween is coming, and with it, Hawk Moth's powers become stronger. Taking advantage of it, Hawk Moth will unleash chaos in Paris. Will Ladybug and her friends be able to save the day, or will their nemesis plunge the city of lights in eternal darkness? (Plus, lots of candy, romance and danger!)





	1. Halloween is Coming

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! It's time for us to find out what kind of adventure awaits our miraculous heroes. This particular story is my Halloween special, and it will have its funny moments, and its serious moments as well. Plus, we will be having a lot more MarinettexAdrien, ChloéxSabrina, RosexJuleka, AlyaxNino, KimxAlix and IvanxMylene. In the previous adventure, Manon was made a keeper of the secret of the Miraculous Team. This story takes place just a few days after it, right in Halloween. Now, as most of you might now, Halloween isn't really celebrated in France, but I'll ignore that fact, and we'll be having tons of Halloween activities in Paris in this story. All Hallows Eve is here, and Hawk Moth has plans. What could they be? One thing's for certain, they can't be good. And now, on with the show…

The cold wind made the dead leaves that were on the ground take flight and dance in the air. It was a clear sign that Autumn was here to stay, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. Unlike Summer, which meant warmth, sunshine and everything associated with fun, Autumn meant coldness, cloudy skies, wind, and return to school for kids and teenagers. But, Autumn also meant the return of some good things like warm clothes, hot beverages you could share with your friends, and of course, Halloween.

Believed to have originated from the ancient Celtic harvest festivals, Halloween was known as the festival of Samhain, which celebrated the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Throughout the centuries, this pagan celebration was Christianised and the word "Halloween" which meant "hallowed evening" or "holly evening", began to be used to identify that night. Nowadays, Halloween was known as one of the best nights for both kids and grown-ups who wanted to put on a scary mask and just have fun. Plus, for kids, it was the one night in the year where they could go out and trick-or-treating, with one purpose only… to get as much candy as possible.

The more superstitious ones believed that on that night, the barrier between the world of the living and the world of dead was frailer, allowing the living to contact the dead, and the dead to walk among the living. Whatever Halloween meant to people, it was coming. In four days, Paris, just like the rest of the world would be celebrating it. And in Collége François-Dupond that would be no exception. Every year, for the past 20 years, the school would organize a Halloween party to celebrate the holiday; This party would be entirely organized by the students, with a little help from the teachers. Though the teachers would supervise it, all the final decisions would be for the students to make. And, like every year, one of the classes would choose the theme of the party, upon which the rest of the classes would help assemble the whole thing. The previous year it had been a "Hack and Slash" theme party. On this year, it would be a "Transylvanian Vampire" theme party. The choice had been made by Miss Bustier's class, after voting it. There had been numerous ideas, but in the end the classical vampire theme was the one that proved to be the most voted.

In their classroom, the whole class was sitting in a circle, discussing what they were going to have on the party. While discussing how they were going to do with the decoration, Chloé suggested that she would call her dad and ask him to send a crew of workers to assemble the whole thing, as well as one of the most prestigious interior designers in all of Paris. But the others politely refused the idea, telling her that it was a cool idea, but that if they did that, they would be going against the rules of having the rest of school participating in the preparations. Slowly but steadily, and with a little help from Miss Bustier who just loved Halloween, the whole class came up with an amazing plan for the party.

"This will be the best Halloween party ever." –Sabrina said.

"I can't wait to see the others' faces when we showed them these plans." –Kim declared. –"It's going to make last year's party seem like

"Of course it will. I mean, you guys have me to help you get all the realistic props we'll need to make things extra realistic." –Chloé said, as she texted her dad. –"Now, how many coffins you think we're going to need for this? 20 or 30?" –she asked. They had agreed on her asking her dad for live performers to pass off as vampires during the party, to give the party a spookier effect.

"Chloé, this is only a school party, not an embassy party. I think 7 or 8 will be enough." –Marinette declared.

"Don't be ridiculous. What is it that they say when planning a party? Shoot for the Moon! And that's exactly what I'm doing." –Chloé told her.

"I think you're the only one who says that, Chloé." –Sabrina chuckled.

"Well, you know what I mean." –the blonde said. –"Fine, I'll ask him for 10 coffins, so we can have two extra coffins, to maybe place food plates or, if Nino wants it, they can be used to place his disc-jockey equipment.

"That would be awesome!" –Nino said. Like in every other party the class arranged, he always volunteered to be the DJ, and this time, it would not be any differen.t. He knew all the best beats, and what was hot when it came to music. Who better than him to be the party's DJ? –"And I've got just the perfect soundtrack for this party. I've been working on it for the past couple of weeks, and you'll pardon the pun, I dare to say it's ghoulishly awesome and sick!" –he said.

"Alright, alright, stop flattering yourself, mister." –Alya giggled, as she placed her right arm around her boyfriend's shoulder. –"We know that you're the best DJ we know."

"Well, music is always important in a party." –Nino told her. –"After all, no decent themed party is complete without an awesome soundtrack, so people can dance to it."

"Speaking of dance, I was wondering if we could have a dancing competition." –Rose said. –"I know we already have so many activities, but a dancing competition would be great."

"You're just trying to come up with an excuse to show off your dance steps, aren't you, Rose?" –Alix joked.

"Well… maybe…" –Rose giggled with a sheepish smile on her face.

"I don't see why we couldn't have a dancing competition." –Adrien said. –"I mean, we already have an awesome DJ to keep us dancing to the beat, so why not take full advantage of it?" –he asked the others. –"It doesn't have to be a serious competition, of course. Just something that chill out and we can even offer a trophy to the best dancer."

Hearing him speak, Marinette lost herself in Adrien's eyes and voice. The blue-haired girl just could not resist when he took charge of things. Though she no longer obsessed over Adrien, and just how handsome and nice he was, Marinette sometimes still reacted the way she did when he was near her. Noticing her mind was on cloud nine, Alya made her come back to Earth, by calling her.

"Marinette? Marinette!"

"Huh, sorry… I was…"

"Distracted? I noticed, girl." –Alya smirked. –"We were asking if you think your parents could help out by lending a few sweets for the party."

"Oh, I think so." –Marinette said. –"I can ask my dad if he can make some of his famous Halloween chocolate spiders for us. We could then put them on the centre table we talked about, right next to the chocolate fountain." –she told her.

"Okay, we'll leave that to you." –Nathaniel said.

"And what about the decorations? Do you think the others will be able to pull off this stunt? We only have three days to do this, and making these realistic crypt walls, along with the tombstones it's going to take a lot of work." –Kim told them. –"And I'm not even talking about the rst of the things that will be adorning the rest of the school."

"Well, the tombstones we can always go to a store and get some of those cheap ones and ask some of the other students to give them a realistic look. I can ask my dad to lend me some special stage inks he has to do that." –Mylene suggested. –"As for the crypt walls, I think if we all help out a little, it can be done." –she said. –"Besides, it's not just going to be us working. We'll have the whole school helping us with this."

"Yeah, and we can't have anyone slacking off on the job." –Ivan said, as he looked at Chloé, who was known for not doing a thing when it came to handwork.

"What are you all looking at me like that?" –the blonde asked them, after noticing everyone was staring at her.

"Because you tend to let the others do all the work, while you just sit and watch the others work." –Ivan answered her.

"He has a point, Chloé." –Juleka agreed.

"You do tend to do that every time there's some handwork to be done." –Sabrina admitted, though she was a little afraid of how her friend would take those criticisms. She was slowly changing into a better person, but there were things that still bothered her, and made her unhappy about it.

"Well, this year is going to be different." –Chloé declared, much to Sabrina's surprise, who expected her to be offended by those remarks. –"I'll be dirtying my hands this time… just as long as I don't break any of my nails." –she said, upon most of the class chuckled. –"What?! I have very fragile nails, and you know it."

Sabrina chuckled after hearing her say that. She really expected her friend to react just like she always did when people told her that she did not work at all, but once again, she surprised her and just about everyone else, by admitting that in the past she let everyone else do her work for her, and that she was going to make an effort to also help out. It was those little things that made the redhead and the others see just how hard Chloé was trying to become a different person.

"That's good to hear, Chloé." –Adrien said, which made the blonde smile. –"And, we can try and get you something

"Oh, thanks Adrikins!" –Chloé winked at him.

When they ended discussing every single detail, they told Miss Bustier that they were ready to present the whole plan to the rest of their fellow students. While they went to the library to photocopy a couple of fliers Nathaniel had been working on while they talked, to be handed to all the students, Miss Bustier went to notify the principal, who quickly announced on the speakers that all classes were to report in the auditorium in 10 minutes. One by one, the other classes joined them, taking their seats, waiting to hear what Marinette and the others had planned for them that year. Although quite big, the school's auditorium was slightly small to have every last student inside, so some of them were forced to seat either on the stairs or remain stand up.

To explain everything, they chose Alya to speak for all of them. Being a natural speaker, the brunette was the obvious choice. Plus, unlike most of her class, she was not afraid to speak up in public. It took her less than 15 minutes to explain everything she and the others had come up with for that year's party and to her and all her friends' surprise, everyone loved the idea. Then, after she finished talking, Principal Democles got up on the stage and applauded Miss Bustier's class idea, stating that it was one of the best themes ever. He then began to assign each of the classes to a specific task, as Alya had said; making sure that every last class had a task assigned to.

"Now, I don't have to remind you all that this is one of the most important events in our school year, and as such, I expect no less than the best of what you can give us." –Principal Democles said. –"To help you on your assignments will be your teachers, as well as your fellow students from Miss Bustier's class, who will tell you what to do." –he said. –"And without further ado, I wish you the best of luck on this endeavour, hoping to see something that will surprise me, as well as every other staff member of this school."

Upon finishing the speech, all the classes went to the gym, where they were going start working on their assigned tasks. Arriving there, Alya, once again her class's spokesperson, told the whole school how they were going to do everything. At the same time, Chloé was on the phone with her dad, getting a head start on getting the props they were going to need for that party.

"Yes, dad, like I said on my text, we're going to need 10 coffins and we're also going to need a couple of more things." –the blonde said over the phone. –"No, it's nothing extremely fancy. Just one of those old crystal chandeliers and a couple of old Gothic statues, you know? The kind that you see on old vampire movies." –she went on. –"Yes, those exactly, dad. You can get a few of those, can't you? You can? Oh, thank you, daddy. Yes, I love you too."

"You sure are on a roll today, Chloé." –Pollen whispered to her, from Chloé's handbag.

"Well, I'm just trying to help the others." –Chloé whispered back at the bee kwami. –"Besides, this way I'll make sure that this party will be remembered by everyone as the coolest Halloween party ever." –she smiled.

* * *

Getting down to business, every last student went either back to their rooms to get started on the task their class had been assigned to, or stayed right there in the gym to get started on setting up the place. Marinette and the rest of her friends were some of those who stayed in the gym.

While the girls began to work on some of the decorations, the boys handled the sound system. Nino wanted to make sure that the school's sound system was working fine, before they set up everything the next day. As he did that, he kept talking to Adrien, who was helping him out.

"So… is the almighty DJ happy with what he has to give us awesome beats?" –Adrien joked with his best friend.

"You know the school's sound equipment is pretty standard, but it will do." –Nino winked at Adrien. –"Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to have this to work with. But if I could get my hands on some really professional equipment… man, I would make the house come down." –he joked.

"Just try not to do it with us inside, okay?" –Max joked, as he helped Kim carry one of the speakers. Max was many things, but a heavy-lifter he was not. Seeing him in a bit of distress, Ivan went to help him out a little.-"thanks, Ivan."

"Anytime." –Ivan told him. –"Times like this I'm actually happy to have strength of a bear." –he whispered at him.

"Well, even if you didn't have me to grant you that, with what you usually eat, you would have the strength of at least a bull, kid." –Muria whispered at Ivan, from his pocket.

"Keep it down, Muria!" –Ivanm hushed at the bear kwami. –"Do you want to get spotted?"

While Ivan helped out Max and Kim, Nino kept chatting with Adrien.

"You know, I never actually had the chance to go out and trick or treating." –Adrien said.

"Oh, yeah, I bet." –Nino said.

"The exception was last year when I went with you guys." –Adrien said, as he remembered of going trick or treating with Nino, Alya and Marinette the previous year. He had gone as a musketeer, Nino as a mime, Alya as a witch and Marinette as a cheerleader. –"That was one cool night."

"I was there, remember, bro?" –Nino chuckled. –"That had to be my best year for getting candy. Do you believe that I ate the last piece of candy I got on Halloween the day before school started?"

"I believe you." –Adrien answered him, remembering the huge sack of candy Nino filled that night. –"Mine lasted me until just before Easter."

"I should have given you half of mine, because you had to go home earlier, thanks to your bodyguard who spent the night acting like your shadow." –Nino said.

"It's okay, it's in the past now." –Adrien sighed. –"Too bad we're already too old to go trick or treating."

"Tell me about it. I mean, the rules should say that after 13, it's not cool to go trick or treating." –Nino told him.

"Rules? What rules?" –Adrien asked his friend.

"You know, the "rules"?" –Nino said, using his hands to make the "quote" sign.

"Oh, those rules…" –Adrien laughed.

"Yeah, those rules… Fortunately, the rules don't say we can't have fun on this holiday." –Nino said. –"And that's just what we're going to do… your dad is going to let you come to the party, right?"

"I'm counting on it." –Adrien said. –"He has been on a good mood lately, so I'm guessing he'll let me come without a hitch… but, I'll probably have my bodyguard stuck to me like glue." –he sighed.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm sure Master Fu won't mind show up and hypnotize him for a couple of hours." –Nino suggested.

At the same time, not far from where the boys were, Marinette was helping the rest of the girls with the making of a few decorations. These were going to be hanged all over the school, to give the place a more Halloweenesque feeling. After having drawn all sorts of scary drawings on the orange, black and purple cardboards, they began to cut them. The only ones that were not doing that were both Chloé who was still on the phone, trying get a couple of more props to be delivered that day, and Sabrina, who was basically cataloguing everything Chloé was ordering. Soon, there were dozens of black cats, witches flying on a broomstick, pumpkins and ghosts cut out.

Mylene, who had just finished cutting out a witch, and was getting ready to cut a pumpkin, noticed that Marinette looked a little absent-minded, as she kept looking into one of the gym walls.

"Marinette? Marinette?! Can you hear me?" –Mylene asked her, bringing her back down to Earth.

"Uh?! What?"

"I was saying, what are you thinking about, Marinette?" –Mylene asked her.

"Me? Oh, I'm just… I was just thinking about how Adrien, unlike us, never had the chance to experience Halloween like we all did." –Marinette said. –"And I was thinking that we should do something fun for him to enjoy it the same way we have."

"Are you thinking about going trick or treating one last time?" –Rose asked her, as she finished cutting a black cat.

"No, we're already too old for that, Rose. But, I was thinking of maybe doing something cool here at the party." –Marinette declared.

"Like what?" –Rose asked her.

"I don't know yet… I am still trying to think of what we could do." –Marinette said. –"But I can't think of anything that screams "This is it!" you know what I mean?"

"Well, it depends on what you're looking for" –Mylene said. –"What's the thing that you like the most about Halloween? That's always a good starting point for you to go from."

The question Mylene made her was quite the conundrum for Marinette, because the answer was not easy. There were so many things she liked about Halloween. From trick or treating to her dad's famous pumpkin pie, in which he would use a special blend of spices to give it its unique flavour, there were just too many things for her to choose from. The blue-haired girl had to think hard to choose only one.

"Well, there is one thing that I've always loved about Halloween, ever since I was a kid. And, I know you're probably going to say that I'm lying, but Alya there will confirm what I'm saying." –Marinette pointed at the brunette, who was then trying to draw a series of bat on -"I love to be scared."

"You, scared?!" –Alix laughed –"You, Marinette "Scaredy-Cat" Dupain-Cheng, likes to be scared?" –she laughed once again. –"Yeah, right, tell us another one, because you won't fool us with that one, Marinette."

"It's true. I like to be scared." –Marinette said.

"She's not kidding; she really enjoys being scared on Halloween." Alya said. –"When we were younger, she was always asking her parents to try and scare her on Halloween, because she liked to feel her heart beat like a drum." –she said.

"I know it's sound silly, but I still like when that happens." –Marinette said. –"And I know that I'm really a big scaredy-cat most of the times, but not Halloween." –she admitted, not revealing to the others what a big fan of horror films she was.

"Me too. I'm also not a big fan of scary things either. But on Halloween I also like tom be scared, because I know everything is fake." –Mylene said. Mylene was a true scaredy cat most of the times, and she was not afraid to admit it.

"Well, there you have it. That's something you could do… you could try and scare Adrien." –Juleka said. –"You could try and find a way to scare him and make him feel just like you do when you get scared."

"But, how do I do that?"

"Well… I don't know." –Juleka shrugged her shoulders. –"But I'm sure you will come up with something, sooner or later" –she said, as she exchanged looks with Rose, who smiled back at her.

"Juleka's right. You will come up with something." –Rose seclared, as she winked smiled back at Juleka. The girls had been dating for a couple of days then, and decided not to tell anyone about it, until they felt it was time for their friends to know the truth. They even asked secrecy to their kwamis. Still, it was hard for them not to show just how in love they were with one another. So, they focused on the task at hand.

"I hope so… I really wanted to show Adrien just how awesome Halloween can be." –Marinette sighed.

"You will, Marinette. You will." –Tikki whispered from the girl's handbag.

"Tikki's right, you will." –Alya said. –"But, in the meantime, how about you give is a little hand with these? –she said, as she pointed out to a bunch of cardboards with multiple drawings on them. –"These here aren't going to cut themselves, you know?"

As they went back to work, they all imagined how Halloween night was going to be. And though there thoughts were quite different among them all, there was one common thought among them. They were all thinking and wishing one thing and one thing only, that Hawk Moth would not decide to spoil the festivities, by launching yet another akuma on the city. They had had their share of akuma attacks in the past few weeks, not to mention the fact that Manon Chamack had found about Marinette's secret identity as Ladybug, and ended up becoming a Keeper of the secret. The last thing they all needed was for that psychopath and his minions to show up and cause trouble during Halloween.


	2. Cupcakes and Costumes

As the heroes begged for nothing bad to happen during Halloween, so they could relax and enjoy it, without any worries, deep underground, in Hawk Moth's lair, the villain was in a good mood. It was unlike him to be like that, especially after having been publicly humiliated by the Miraculous Team twice in such short time. Usually he would be cursing his bad luck, while berating his two lieutenants for failing him, after punishing them for their errors. But on that particular morning, he was quite amused. The same could not be said for his lieutenants, Reptile and Madame Romani, who were both recovering from the injuries their master had caused them, upon punishing them. It would be a couple of days before they had both regained their full strength back

Reptile's injuries were almost healed, and though he could already move and walk freely, he decided not to do it, to save his energies, should his master order him to go and do his bidding. Madame Romani herself was also healing. Though Hawk Moth had electrocuted her a couple of times, her punishment was mostly a more mental punishment, with the villain giving her endless nightmares and keeping her from sleep. Thanks to those nightmares, the gypsy witch did not sleep a wink for nearly three days and that affected not only her powers, but also her ability to control them. Staying still, with her eyes closed half-awake, half-asleep was her way to regain back her strength.

As for Hawk Moth, he was in his private chambers, monologuing to himself, with no one, except his Akuma butterflies to keep him company. He was used to doing that, but on that day, you could almost say he was thrilled; something that never happened. One who would know Hawk Moth, knew that he never showed his emotions, except when he wanted to prove something or when he burst into a fit of rage.

"All Hallows Eve, or Halloween as they call it now… a time for change. The Celts believed that on this day, the barriers between the physical world, and the spiritual world were frailer, allowing the humans to contact with forces they could not understand, my pretties." –Hawk Moth said, as he looked at the glass dome, where the diabolical black butterflies were, awaiting for their creator to use them for his evil purposes. –"And they were right. Samhain was, and it still is one of the few days in the year where the spiritual world is closer to this one. A day, where the supernatural forces are stronger, but at the same time frailer, enabling those who know how to do it, to seize them for themselves and use them as they see it fit. And I am going to do just that. With my knowledge over the dark forces, I will use those very same forces to strengthen my powers temporarily and destroy those infernal brats who keep being a thorn in my side." –he went on. –"Yes… this time, Ladybug and the rest of her team will see what happens when they mess with Hawk Moth. Nothing will prevent me from destroying them this time, not even God himself or Satan!"

Hearing him, both Reptile and Madame Romani knew that they would most likely not have the time to regain all of their strength back, before they were sent on some attack against the Miraculous Team. Still, they both believed this time things would go their way, with Hawk Moth much more powerful than before.

* * *

On her way back home, Marinette kept asking herself how she was going to make Adrien enjoy Halloween. But all her ideas seemed either too corny or not good enough. The more she thought about it, the more she felt she was not going to be able to come up with something.

"Maybe I could ask him to wear a costume and pair up with me… there are so many cool couples for us to be on Halloween, like Jack and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas, or Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Masked, or even Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde from Zootopia. Yes, that would be awesome!" –Marinette thought to herself. –"But... what if he's not interested in having someone to pair up with him? And of course, he might not even like the idea in the first place… bad idea, Marinette…"

Seeing her so gloomy, Tikki understood that she was still thinking about how she was going to make Adrien's Halloween unforgettable, and decided to cheer her up, by throwing a couple of suggestions, hoping one of them ended up being what Marinette was looking for.

"Why don't you give him a box with macarons? He loves you macarons." –Tikki chirped from inside Marinette's handbag.

"I'm always giving him macarons, Tikki." –Marinette sighed. –"I could make him a couple of Halloween-themed macarons, but it would still be the same thing. I need something special… a once in a lifetime idea, you know?"

"I understand what you're saying, Marinette. But, maybe you're trying too much?"

"I don't know anymore, Tikki." –Marinette said, as she crossed the street.

"Well, why don't you offer him something? Something that means a lot to you… I know! One of your scary movies!" –the kwami suggested, remembering about the huge collection

"I don't think so, Tikki. I mean, I could give him one of my favourite movies, but I don't even know if he likes that kind of movies." –Marinette declared. –"I mean, I could ask Nino to help me out with it, by asking him to ask Adrien if he liked horror movies." –she said, thinking about it. –"But… let's face it, Adrien is rich. He probably has a ton of movies, and those he doesn't have, he can just get them."

"Marinette… you can't think like that." –Tikki told her.

"I know, I know… but I really, really want to do something special for Adrien." –Marinette told the little kwami. –"You weren't here last year, so you don't know the story, but… last year, it was the first time Adrien went trick or treating. He didn't even know how awesome Halloween is, until Alya, Nino and I took him trick or treating." –she said. –"He was so happy… I want him to feel that same joy again, Tikki."

"You'll find a way, Marinette. You always do." –the kwami told her.

Whenever Tikki said those things, Marinette knew she was absolutely right. Still, her own self-doubt prevented her from fully accepting that fact.

"I wish I had the same faith in myself, as you have in me." –Marinette said. –"Sometimes I feel that I can only do that when I'm Ladybug… and before you say it, yes, I know Ladybug and I are the same person, but, at times, it feels like we're two entirely different people, Tikki."

"In time, you will have that faith, Marinette. I believe you will. Just like I believe you will find a way to surprise Adrien this Halloween." –Tikki smiled.

Shortly after, they arrived home and they both saw just how busy things were at the bakery. Marinette was not surprised, especially because she knew why that was happening. Every year was the same thing. Her dad had made his Halloween specialty, Pumpkin cupcakes with orange and hazelnut frosting, and they were selling like hotcakes. The people were even lining up outside the bakery to buy them. Entering it, she saw that her parents had their hands full with the customers.

"Hey, mom! Hey, dad!" –Marinette waved at her parents from the middle of the crowd that had formed inside the bakery, as she tried to get to the counter's door.

"Hey, honey. How was school today?" –Tom asked his daughter as he placed another tray of his famous Halloween cupcakes on the counter.

"It was okay. You guys need any help?" –Marinette asked them, seeing all those customers.

"Oh, don't worry about us sweetie. We can handle this." –Sabine said, as she grabbed two more cupcakes and placed them in a box.

"I think I better come and help you out, while dad makes another tray of those cupcakes." –the blue-haired said, as she finally got to the counter's door, opening it. –"Let me just put my things up in my room, and I'll come back."

"Okay, honey. But take your time. We can handle this." –Sabine said, as her daughter went up the stairs.

Sabine tried to fool her daughter by acting like she was okay, but Marinette knew her mom was just trying to put on a strong face. She knew how stressful the days before the holidays could be, especially for her who spent most of her time behind the counter, filling orders. She had to help her out, even if just for a little bit, so she could take it easier. Reaching her room, she dropped her backpack and her handbag, with Tikki coming out of the latter, and wasted no time changing her footwear. Though her ballet shoes were quite comfortable, to work behind the counter she preferred a pair of sneakers. Putting them on, she was ready to go and help her parents… at least, until Manon arrived and she had to babysit her.

"I'll see you in an hour or so, Tikki." –Marinette said, as she opened the trapdoor. –"You want me to bring you anything, when I come up with Manon?"

"Well… I would like to try one of those cupcakes your parents are selling." –Tikki told her.

"I'll see if I can bring you one, when I come back." –Marinette smiled, as she went down the trapdoor.

Heading downstairs, Marinette knew that for the next hour or so, she would have her hands full. Taking a deep breath, she went down the last flight of stairs, ready to face the music, only to find out that the crowd had almost doubled since she arrived. Still, that did not prevent her from rolling up her sleeves and start working.

"I'm back, mom. What do you need me to do?" –Marinette asked Sabine.

"Well, sweetie, could you handle the cash-register?" –Sabine pointed out.

"Sure thing." –Marinette said, as she went to the cash-register, where several people were waiting. –"Okay, let's see, who's next?"

Operating the cash-register and making sure every order was fulfilled was a little hard for Marinette, who was not used to doing that. Usually it would be her mother and father taking care of things during those days. Sometimes, when her grandmother from her father's side, Gina Dupain, whom Marinette called Noona, visited them during that time of the year, she would help out, so the girl was not really used to all that stress. But, she did her best, and little by little all the orders were fulfilled and the crowd began to clear out, allowing both her mother and daughter to take it easier. And although they had people buying bread, croissants and all sorts of cakes, it were the cupcakes the item most of their customers wanted that day. You could almost say they were flying off the trays.

When they run out of them, Marinette went inside to check if her dad had already another batch of them ready. Entering the kitchen, she saw her dad putting the finishing touches on the latest batch.

"Dad, please, tell me you're almost finished with those." –Marinette asked them, knowing the customers were waiting for them.

"Almost, honey." –Tom told her, as he finished putting the frosting on top of one of the last ones. –"Could you get me the nutmeg over there, while I finish this last one?"

Looking around, she saw the gallipot with the powdered nutmeg in and quickly grabbed it. Nutmeg was just one of the many secrets that made those one of the specialties of her parents' bakery. The original recipe was from her grandmother Gina; though instead of making cupcakes, she used it to make a double-layer cake. It had been her father's idea to updated it, and give it a more contemporary look by turning an old cake recipe into a cupcake recipe. As she remembered that, she found herself remembering about her grandmother for the second time that day. Such a thought made her realize just how much she missed her, and how she had promised her the next time she came to visit her, that she would take her on a ride in her motorcycle.

"Thanks, honey." –Tom said, as he sprinkled some powdered nutmeg on top of the cupcakes' frosting.

"How many have you made today?" –Marinette asked her dad.

"Honestly, I lost count after the 10th batch." –Tom chuckled. –"Every year I get more and more orders of these things. Never thought they would see this well when I first began to bake them." –he said. –"You better go out there and tell the customers that we have a new batch coming, and if they ask you or your mother, tell them that there's another one that will be out of the oven in about 10 minutes."

This kept going for another half an hour, when the crowd was finally reduced to just a couple of customers who had come to either to buy bread, or to order something. One of the customers had come to order a special birthday cake for her dog, and Sabine was forced to tell her that they did not do such cakes, and that she should try maybe a pet store or a bakery specialized in cakes for animals. When the woman left, it was inevitable for both mother and daughter to exchange looks over what the woman wanted.

"A birthday cake for a dog… now I've seen everything." –Sabine laughed.

"Maybe we should think about adding one of those to our menu. I mean, nowadays there are already so many people who celebrate their pet's birthday." –Marinette chuckled.

A little after that, the school bus bringing Manon home stopped in front of the bakery. Seeing it, Marinette went to get the little girl. She had just opened the door, when Manon stepped out of the bus, waving at her. Smiling, Marinette asked her how her day had been.

"Hey there, you little rascal. So, how was school today?"

"It was okay." –Manon said, as Marinette grabbed her backpack for her.

"Okay? Just okay? Don't tell me you didn't do anything fun in school today?" –Marinette kidded with her. –"Well, if you didn't, then don't worry, because I think we'll find something fun to do." –she giggled.

* * *

Already on Marinette's room, Manon wasted no time asking for Tikki. Ever since she had found the blue-haired girl was actually her favourite heroine Ladybug, and about the identities of rest of team and their kwamis, that she came up with some of the most ridiculous and funny excuses to call Tikki, so she could talk and play with her. The ladybug kwami who had grown accustomed of having Manon around was always happy to strike a conversation and play with her. And this time the little girl did not even need to call her, because she was holding one of the pumpkin cupcakes in her hand, and the gluttonous kwami showed up, looking for a bite out of it.

"Tikki!" –Manon exclaimed, when she showed up out of nowhere.

"Hey, Manon! How was school?" –Tikki asked her. –"Mmmm… that looks delicious. Can I have a little bite, please?"

"Sure." –Manon said, as she let the little kwami bite off the cupcake. –"Do you like it?"

"Very much!" –Tikki said. Everytime she thought Marinette's dad could not make something more delicious than before, he surprised her by making something absolutely delicious like that.

"Glad you like it so much, you little glutton." –Marinette said, as she showed her another cupcake. –"I brought you one too."

"Thanks, Marinette." –Tikki said, as she began to munch on the delicious cupcake, starting with the frosting.

"You keep eating like that, and you'll end up as a small pudgy kwami." –Marinette kidded about.

While eating the cupcakes, Manon asked Marinette if she had any completed one of the puppets she had promised her to do, to which the blue-haired girl told her that no, stating that she was still working on the Chat Noir plushie, but would not be able to finish it until after Halloween.

"I'm sorry, Manon, but I really can't make it now. I got a lot of work to do for the Halloween party at school." –Marinette told her, as she sat in front of her laptop. –"Ask Tikki. She'll confirm I'm not lying."

"She's right. Marinette almost doesn't have time to breathe." –Tikki asserted. –"You'll just have to wait a little more."

From the face she made, both Marinette and Tikki realized that Manon was sad after hearing that. Feeling that they could have told her those news in another way, they exchanged looks and silently agreed to cheer her up.

"But don't worry. As soon as Halloween is over, I'll finish Chat and get started on the Ladybug plushie." –Marinette declared.

"Yes, I'll even help her sewing." –Tikki joked.

"You? With those little hands? Keep dreaming, Tikki." –Marinette joked, trying to make Manon giggle as well.

The little trick made Manon smile, but only for a couple of seconds. The truth was something else was bothering her.

"Thanks, but… it's just that you'll probably won't be able to do something…"

"What, Manon?" –Marinette asked her, puzzled.

"Well… my friend Nicole, she said that she was going to wear a princess outfit for Halloween… but I also wanted to be a princess." –Manon declared.

"And you were wondering if I could make you a princess outfit too?" –Marinette asked her.

"Yes."

The truth was Marinette would be happy to help her with that, but with the preparations for the Halloween party and all, time was the last thing she had right then.

"Well, I can't really make you one on such short notice. Not with the amount of work I have." –Marinette sighed. She was really sad, because she wanted to help Manon with that, and knowing her mother was also going to be busy with bakery, there was no way she would be able to make her the dress. –"But, my mom can take you to buy a pretty princess dress, or… wait a minute. Hold that thought, Manon." –she said, as she got up and went to closet.

"What is it, Marinette?" –Manon asked her.

The girl did not answer her, as she opened up her wardrobe, and began looking for something. It took her a couple of seconds to find what she was looking for, but she found it. Taking it off the closet and putting it on the floor, it looked like an ordinary plastic box, but on the side, you could see written in blue ink "Marinette - Halloween". Unknown to both Manon and Tikki, that was the box where Marinette had placed all the costumes she wore for Halloween. The last one to be added to the box was the one she wore the year before, Meiko Mochizuki from Digimon Adventure tri. Carefully, she pulled the outfit out of the box along with the wig and the accessories, and continued looking for what she believed was there. Then, finally, she found what she was looking for, the Halloween outfit she had used when she was in first grade. The outfit consisted of a black fairy dress with a black collar, icy blue-coloured shirt top, a light blue design and two points at the skirt top, and light blue butterfly sleeves with black edges over black puff sleeves at the shoulders with light blue zigzag ends. It also had long, black, fingerless gloves and a pair of black leggings. Marinette remembered that that was the outfit the evil fairy from a cartoon she used to watch. She could not remember what the show's name was right then, but she remembered that she loved that character, so much that she asked her mom to do make that outfit for her to wear.

"Here it is… it's not a princess dress, but it's still really pretty, isn't it?" –Marinette asked them.

"It is… it looks like a fairy dress." –Tikki said, as she flew over to inspect the outfit. –"I really like the colours."

"An evil fairy dress to be exact." –Marinette declared. –"My mom made it for me when I was Manon's age. Do you like it, Manon?"

"More or less…" –Manon declared, as she approached the blue-haired girl, who was holding the dress in her hands. –"It's pretty, but it's not a princess dress." –she said.

Hearing her say that, Marinette could feel the disappointment in the little girl's voice. She knew she wanted to be a princess, but there was no way she would be able to turn that fairy dress into a princess dress on such short notice. With the time she had on her hands, she could make a couple of adjustments to make it fit Manon, but that was it. But, the blue-haired girl did not throw the towel, and decided to use reverse psychology.

"I know you wanted to be a princess, but you know what, Manon? Princesses are so overrated." –Marinette smiled. –"Any girl can be a princess… I mean, haven't you noticed that every time a girl wants to dress up, she says "I want to be a princess". That's not original, am I right?"

"No… it's not, I think." –Manon answered her.

Understanding what Marinette was trying to do, Tikki lent her a hand, by joining the conversation.

"She's right. It's not very original… and you don't want your friend to think you're dressing up as a princess, just because you want to copy her do you?" –Tikki asked the little girl, who waved her head.

"But, if you go as an evil fairy, nobody can tell that you're copying someone, am I right?" –Marinette asked her, smiling. –"Imagine it… you show up with this outfit, and everyone will be asking themselves what are you, and you can tell them that you're an evil fairy, or a good one, if you want to, and that you have awesome powers." –she said enthusiastically, as she showed Manon a wand from another outfit she wore.

The way she put it made Manon giggle. It did not take her long to convince Manon that outfit was perfect for her. Though it had been made for Marinette a few years earlier, it looked brand-new, as if no one had ever wear it. As soon as she was convinced to wear it, Manon asked both Marinette and Tikki to help her put it on. Just like she expected, Manon was a little smaller than she what she used to be, and the dress felt a little big for her. Still, it would take her maybe a couple of hours to tighten it, so it would fit her like a glove. Looking herself in the mirror, the little girl wished it was already Halloween, so she could go to school with it, and later go trick or treating with it.

"You like it?" –Marinette asked her. –"What am I talking about? Of course, you do." –she giggled, as she watched her play with the wand.

"She loves it." –Tikki said, as she moved in closer to Marinette's ear. –"You did a great job turning the situation to your favour." –she whispered,

"Thanks, but you helped out a little." –Marinette whispered back at the kwami, as she went to get her measuring tape. –"Now, let's get you measured, so I can see what I need to fix." –she said, as she approached Manon, who kept playing with the wand, while admiring herself in the mirror.

It was a bit hard for Marinette to take Manon's measurements, because she would not stand still. Thankfully, Tikki helped her out, by asking the little one to stand still long enough for Marinette to do it.

"There, I already have your measurements. I'll try and fix it either tonight or maybe tomorrow after I come from school." –Marinette told her. –"You're going to look even better in it than you look now, Manon." –she smiled to her. Looking at her, she could not help but to think that there was something about the whole outfit. She pondered about it and quickly understood what was missing; the make-up. –"I think if we paint your face with some make-up, it will complement the outfit. What do you think, Tikki?"

"I think you're right." –Tikki asserted.

"Make-up? You mean like the one my mommy wears?" –Manon asked her.

"Nope, silly. I mean like the one clowns and artists wear. Would you like that?" –Marinette suggested her.

"Yes!" –Manon exclaimed.

"Hum… But, what exactly am I going to draw on your face?" –Marinette said out loud. –"Don't move, Manon. This will only take a minute."

Going to her backpack, she took out her sketchbook, opened it and began to draw. Focusing on Manon's face, she drew it as quickly and as accurately as she could. She was nowhere as good as Nathaniel, but she did not dislike the result. The drawing did look like Manon's face. Then, using a couple of crayons she had around, she drew a sort of make-up on the drawing, giving it a purple complexion and a black mask over the eyes. She also gave her black hair with the tips of her ponytails light blue with long white spikes sticking out of each. Looking at it, she did not know why, but the result looked like she had been akumatized.

"Let me see, let me see!" –Manon asked her.

"No, Manon, I don't think you're going to like it." –Marinette said.

"Go on, show it to her." –Tikki encouraged the blue-haired girl. –"I think it looks really pretty." –she said.

"Don't you think it looks like she's been akumatized?" –Marinette raised her eyebrow.

"A little, maybe… but it doesn't matter, as long as Manon likes it." –Tikki insisted.

"Fine." –Marinette said, as she showed the little one the drawing.

"It looks super cool! Are you going to paint my hair too?" –Manon asked her in all of her innocence.

"No, Manon. But I know a place where they sell wigs like that, so I'll get you one." –Marinette chuckled. She was glad Manon had liked it.


	3. A Little Help

Mylene had a problem. She did not know what to wear for Halloween, so after school, while they were walking home, she asked Ivan to help her with that, by going with her shopping. The muscle of the Miraculous Team, hearing her ask him to come with her, blushed like a tomato on the spot. His relationship with Mylene was getting stronger, and he was trying to find the courage to ask her to be his girlfriend, but that moment was still a couple of months away at least, because he told himself he had to wait for the perfect moment to ask her. Still, accompanying her, when she told him she needed an opinion and she trusted his; when he heard her say that, it just gave him one more reason to gain the courage and tell her what he really felt.

"I know this is a little at short notice, Ivan, but I really need your help choosing an outfit for the party." –Mylene told him.

"I told you, you should have gone looking for it earlier." -Pin told her.

"With what has been happening to us this last week? I'm lucky I still have the time to breathe, Pin." –Mylene told her kwami.

"I know that, but it's like they always say. Prepare for the worst, and hope for the best." –Pin told her.

"You and your Confucius quotes don't help, you know that?" –Mylene raised an eye at the doe kwami

Seeing bot Mylene and Pin arguing was too much funny for Muria, Ivan's kwami, who was watching the whole thing from Ivan's pocket. The bear kwami could not help, but to quickly leave the pocket and hide behind Ivan's hear, so he could whisper him something.

"As much as I love to see this, just tell the girl you'll go with her, and on the way, tell her that that you love her. Just do it."

" _You don't have to tell me twice… but not just yet._ " –Ivan thought to himself. –"It's okay. I still haven't found an outfit for me either. That way, I'll help you choose yours, and you help me choose mine." –he told Mylene.

"Really?" –Mylene chirped. –"Oh, you're the best, Ivan!" –she said, as she hugged him.

Though most people thought because of his size Ivan was not afraid of anyone or anything, the truth was he was quite shy and blushed real quick.

"So… do you want to go home and leave your things there first, and I do the same, and we'll meet at the store, or do you want to go right away?" –Mylene asked him. –"I don't mind meeting up later."

"Nah, let's just go there at once." –Ivan said.

"But your backpack seems like it's really heavy." –Mylene told him. She did not want him to get tired, carrying something heavy, because of her.

"Hey, remember, I've got the strength of a bear and then some. What I'm carrying in my backpack is light, compared to the weights I use during practice." –Ivan told her in an amused tone. –"If you want to, I can even carry you all the way to the store." –he said, making Mylene giggle.

"No, thanks, I'll walk. –"Mylene answered him. –"But if I ever get tired, and you're around, I'll remember about that offer you just made." –she smiled to him, making Ivan blush even further.

"You know that if you keep up like that, instead of a person, Ivan will be a tomato. You're making him get redder and redder by the second, Mylene." –Pin whispered to the girl's ear.

"Sorry, but I couldn't help it. I guess you're starting to rub it on me." –Mylene whispered back at her kwami, who smiled,

The store Mylene took him to, was one her father tended to go to buy any outfit or accessory he needed for his job as an actor. The place had everything from outfits to wigs, make-up and all other sort of things. If there was a place in Paris that had the things a person needed to become unrecognizable at a costume party or any other celebration of that kind, it was that store. Being the daughter of one of the store's best clients, everyone working there knew her. As soon as she entered it, the store's clerk, a young woman named Rebecca quickly recognized her.

"Oh, hello there, Mylene. It's been a couple of months since I last saw you." –Rebecca waved at her. –"So, how's school? Did you come to pick up something new for your father to wear on one of his shows?"

"Hey, there." –Mylene smiled. –"No, I didn't come to get anything for my dad, though he told me this morning that he has a big show in two days and that he would stop by to buy something he needed. Don't ask me what it is, because he said I would have to wait until tonight to find out what it is… so, it must be really big." –she chuckled. –"As for me, I came here to look for a Halloween outfit for myself, and I brought my friend Ivan to help me choose."

"Your friend? Don't you mean your boyfriend?" –Rebecca asked him in a slightly amused tone.

When she said that, both Ivan and Mylene blushed at the same time, not knowing how to react to that sort of comment. Rebecca herself saw a mile away that they were both head over heels for one another, but being young and still new to the ways of the heart, they could not guess that was true. Still, not wanting to make them feel embarrassed or uncomfortable, she decided to change the subject.

"Oh, come on, I'm, just teasing with you both." –she said, as she looked at them and mentally compared them to both Beauty and the Beast, given the difference of heights between them.

"I-It's okay… we're not dating." –Mylene told her. –" _At least… not yet._ " –she thought to herself.

"Yeah, w-we're just friends." –Ivan said. –"Though I hope we become more than that, very soon." –he thought to himself.

"Okay, okay, I get it." –Rebecca said. –"Anyways, if you're looking for a Halloween outfit, then you have come to the right place, girl. We've got outfits and costumes of every shape, size, colour and price!" –she exclaimed. –"If there's an outfit for you, it's somewhere in this store. You just need to find it. And, of course, if you guys need any help, just call me or one of the other employees, alright?"

"Thanks." –Mylene said, as she went into one of the hallways, followed by Ivan.

As they disappeared out of her sight, Rebecca could not help but to think how long it would take them both to understand that they were both in love with one another. Right from the beginning she could tell that they were made for one another, and wished they would realize it sooner or later.

Although it looked small from the outside, the store's inside was ginormous, to say the least. With several hallways of outfits and costumes, and the same number of hallways with accessories and make-up, there truly was a little bit of everything. The hard was what to choose. Going through the hallways, Mylene grabbed a few outfits to see if any of them were her style or her size. Being in love with the theatre and everything connected to acting, Mylene saw herself as someone who could play any kind of part, and as such, the outfits she grabbed ranged from a Greek toga to a witch's outfit. Trying them on, one by one, she asked Ivan if she looked good on them.

"What about this one?" –Mylene asked him, as she exited the changing room wearing a pirate outfit.

"Nope." –Ivan said. –"It's just not you."

"You said the same thing about the Baron Samedi outfit, and the Eleven outfit from Stranger Things." –Mylene sighed.

"And I'm being honest. The first was not your style, and the second one… well, I don't like seeing you with a bald cap feigning that you have shaved your hair." –Ivan declared. –"I think you would look good in an outfit that was both scary and beautiful at the same time."

When he told her that, Mylene could not help to both smile and blush lightly. She did not know if he realized that when he said things like that to her, it made her heart skip a beat.

"Well, then, why don't you try and find something you think will look good on me." –Mylene smiled to him. –"Go on, I trust you. Just don't bring me a Harley Quinn outfit, because I think that there are going to be a bunch of them at the party. I want to wear something that no one will even think about wearing." –she warned him.

Taking what Mylene told him in account, Ivan looked through the amount of outfits hanging on the shelves, hoping to find one he thought would be perfect for her. He believed she would look awesome on some he saw, but he feared that she would consider them too stereotypical.

"Vampire… no… Clown… definitely, not… Batgirl? No…" –Ivan said. –"Argh! Come on, there's got to be a good one around here…"

"Why don't you just pick one and take it to her?" –Muria whispered to him.

"Because I don't want her to think that I just grabbed the first thing I saw, Muria. And please, be quiet!" –Ivan hushed him. –"Do you want people to see you?"

"Don't worry about it. There's nobody here, except us." –the bear kwami pointed out to the empty hallway. –"And besides, if someone shows up I'll just go static and pretend I'm a talking doll. Remember, I've got millenniums of practice in the art of disguise." –he said with a cocky voice.

"Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve you and your massive ego… you're way worse than Chloé, when she's in a foul mood." –Ivan said, remembering the last time that happened. No matter how much she had changed and how much nicer she was being to everyone, when she was in a bad mood, Chloé reverted to her old stuck-up self, who thought she was better than anyone else.

"Please… you're sounding like Wayzz now." –Muria told him. –"That turtle kwami is always criticizing everyone, but himself." –he declared. –"Hey, what about this one here?"

Muria pointed out to a black suit that was to Ivan's left. Looking at it, he did not recognize where it was from or to what character it belonged. It was a simple suit composed of a pair of black baggy pants, a tight coat, a small bowler hat and a large pair of shoes. It took him a bit to identify it, but then it came to him. That was the outfit Charlie Chaplin wore while portraying the Tramp, his most famous character. Thinking about how Mylene would look like a female Tramp, he easily pictured her wearing the outfit with a black and white make-up over her face, and holding a cane. It was an unusual choice, but he was certain that there would not be another person at the party wearing that outfit.

"Maybe… Yeah, this is the one! Let's see if they have Mylene's size." –Ivan said.

"Once again, the day is saved, thanks to Muria!" –Muria exclaimed.

"Stop it! I'm really going to forbid you from watching the Powerpuff Girls, if you continue to talk like the Narrator." –Ivan told him, among laughs.

Taking the outfit to Mylene for her try on, the girl was speechless when she saw it. She was expecting Ivan to bring her something good, but never thought he would hit the jackpot like that. Looking at it, she quickly imagined herself wearing it and thinking on how perfect it was. Still, it was not until she tried it on and looked herself in the mirror that she said it out loud.

"Do you like it?" –Ivan asked her.

"It's perfect, Ivan!" –Mylene exclaimed from the changing room.

"Really? Then, come on out so I can see you with it." –he asked her.

"Okay, I'm coming out now." –she said.

When Mylene stepped out of the changing room, Ivan knew he had struck gold. The outfit looked perfect on her.

"You're right, it looks perfect on you." –Ivan declared. –"Are you going to take it?"

"I am. And I would've never have remembered to choose it. I was right to ask you to come with me." –Mylene smiled to him, making him blush for the umpteenth time that afternoon. –"If it wasn't for you, I would probably still looking for the perfect outfit."

Of course, Muria was not going to let Ivan take the credit for that. Being who he was, the bear kwami was not going to let that happen.

"Hey, I did help, you know?!" –Muria exclaimed from Ivan's pocket, where he was hiding.

"Yeah, he kinda did." –Ivan admitted.

"Well, then, I have to thank you both and him." –Mylene said, as she gave Ivan a hug. –"Now, all we need to do is find you an outfit as well." –she said. –"Let me just get this off and then Pin and I are going to see if we can find you something awesome for you to wear."

* * *

But Mylene and Ivan were not the only ones shopping for a Halloween outfit. In her bedroom at Le Grand Paris, Chloé was also trying to choose what to wear for Halloween. At first, she thought about wearing a costume she wore before to one of the numerous masked balls she attended. But as she looked at them, none of them actually screamed Halloween. They were too majestic, too opulent for a school party. She blamed herself for it, or better yet, her old self for it. The blonde had always wanted ot be the centre of attentions whenever she went, so had always made sure that whatever outfit she took to those events was as opulent as you could get.

After reaching the conclusion she would not find anything suitable in her wardrobe, she decided to go with plan B… Internet shopping. Turning on her laptop, she began googling for Halloween costumes. There were tons of websites selling those, but Chloé would not settle for anything less than perfect, and so, she discarded the websites selling cheap or average priced costumes and outfits, went to the websites with costumes and outfits with a four digit price. These were all done with the finest materials and were to be worn by either millionaires, movie or rock stars, in sum, people with money to burn at will. Looking through the numerous websites, she could not find one she liked. And to make matters worse, Pollen was not helping.

"What do you think about this one, Pollen?"

"No… not yellow enough." –Pollen answered her.

"I don't understand… why do you keep saying that?" –Chloé sighed, as the bee kwami landed on her left shoulder. –"You're always saying that the outfits aren't yellow enough. Do you want me to go as a sunflower or a pot of honey to the party?"

"Well, those would be nice choices." –the bee kwami giggled.

"The premise of Halloween is to look scary or fashionable, or both, in your outfit, and those two options aren't scary or fashionable at all." –Chloé said, as she scrolled down the website. –"Hmm… what about this one? And don't say it's not yellow enough, okay?"

The outfit Chloé was talking about was one that was identified as "Steampunk Gunslinger". She had heard about that word before, probably from one of the conversations Max had with one of the others, but had never bothered to look what it meant. Still, she liked both the style and the way the colours mingled with the leather pieces and accessories. The only thing she did not like was the pair of aviator goggles, which she felt were not her style.

"I like the top hat and the skirt." –Pollen said. –"But I think the goggles are a bit too much." –she declared.

"My thoughts exactly." –Chloé said, as she googled the word "steampunk", to learn its meaning. –"Here it is, steampunk… a subgenre of science fiction or science fantasy that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Interesting…" –she read it.

"It still doesn't have enough yellow to my tasting, but it's quite fashionable. I think you would look quite dazzling in it." –Pollen told Chloé, as she looked at the outfit on the screen.

"Well, then, it's settled. I'm going to buy this one… let's see if they can have it here by tomorrow or the day after tomorrow." –Chloé said, as she made the online purchase. –"Okay, it says here that it will arrive in two days. Just in time for the party."

"I do wonder what your friends are going to dress like" –Pollen said.

"I don't really know." –Chloé told her. –"Well, I might know what Sabrina is going to dress up, because she might have told me when we were in class the other day. She said she was going to dress up as Tinkerbell from Peter Pan."

"Tinkerbell? Who's that?" –Pollen asked her.

"She's the fairy friend of Peter Pan." –Chloé told her.

"Who?" –the bee kwami asked, puzzled, for she had never heard about any of the characters.

"Oh, I forgot… you don't know this because when the book was written, you were asleep in the comb." –Chloé said. –"Peter Pan is a boy who never ages and who can fly and that lives in an imaginary island called Neverland." –she told her.

"And you're saying he hangs out with a fairy named Tinkerbell?" –Pollen asked.

"Not just her. He also hangs out with a group of boys called the Lost Boys, as well as three brothers he meets, when he flies to London to find his shadow that ran away." –Chloé told her.

"The next thing you know, you're going to tell me that he battles pirates." –Pollen said, sarcastically.

"Actually, he does." –Chloé told her.

"He, what?!" –Pollen exclaimed. –"Okay, that must be one really crazy story."

"It's not my favourite, I'll admit it. But Sabrina loves it, and she loves the Tinkerbell character… even today, when the little fairy is about to die in the book, she claps her hands, saying that she believes in fairies in order to save her." –Chloé said, when she was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Hearing a knock at the door, the blonde wondered who it could be. She had not ordered anything from room service, and she had given orders not to be disturbed, by placing a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door handle. She pondered the hypothesis of being Jean, her butler bringing her something to eat, but then she remembered that that was his day off. Before she could think more about it, a familiar voice was heard from the outside.

"Chloé, honey? Are you there?" –the voice called. It was André Bourgeois, Chloé's father.

"It's my dad… get out of sight." –Chloé hushed to Pollen, who quickly disappeared out of sight. –"Yes, dad! Come on in."

Opening the door, Mayor Bourgeois entered his daughter's room. He had a rough day at office, and just wanted to rest for a bit, before dinner. But before he could do that, he wanted to check on his daughter and see how her day had been.

"And how's my favourite ray of sunshine? Did the things you ordered for the party at your school arrived, honey?"

"Yes, they did, dad." –Chloé said, as her dad sat on her bed. –"I know I told you you're the best, but I'm going to say it, once more. You're the best!" –she said, as she hugged him. –"The school's Halloween party is going to be awesome, thanks to the things I asked you to get me."

Mayor Bourgeois was happy to hear her say that. Though he knew he was not a father who was always there for Chloé, he tried his best to make sure that she had everything she needed or desired.

"Well, I just want to make you happy. If you're happy, then I'll be happy." –he told Chloé. The blonde could not help but to notice that he seemed tired, more than usual. She had seen him come over from work, exhausted, but this time, he seemed even more than usual.

"Daddy… is something wrong with you?" –Chloé asked him. –"Are you sick?" –she asked, fearing that her father was not well.

"No, I'm just exhausted, that's all, honey." –Mayor Bourgeois answered her. –"These last few days at the office have been, well, I think the word I would use to describe them would be… insane." –he told Chloé.

"How come?"

"I don't want to bother you with these things, Chloé." –he told his daughter.

"But I want to know… come on, tell me. It'll make you feel better if you share what's going on." –Chloé begged him.

"Well, between this Hawk Moth terrorist business and the Halloween Parade that's going to take place in two days, I've hardly had time to catch my breath." –he told his daughter.

"A Halloween parade? What Halloween parade are you talking about?" –Chloé asked him.

"Oh, that… it's going to be announced tonight, during the 8 o'clock news. It was not exactly my idea, but, people in the city hall agreed that with what's happening in Paris these last two months, with that crazy Hawk Moth maniac creating monsters and then the Miraculous Team showing up to fight them, that the people of this city need something to get their minds of off it. So, because we're close to Halloween, city hall has arranged for this parade to happen on the night before Halloween." –Mayor Bourgeois said

"That sounds like a great way to rise everyone's spirits." –Chloé admitted. –"And, you're going to participate in the parade?" –she asked him. –"I mean, I ask this because it's custom for parades to have a king or a queen."

"Well, yes, I'm going to." –Mayor Bourgeois said. –"Though I don't know what I'll be wearing on it. The people responsible for the planning of the parade told me that they still haven't picked the outfit for me to wear yet." –he said.

"I'm sure that whatever the outfit is, you're going to look great in it." –Chloé smiled.

"We'll see." –Mayor Bourgeois smiled to his daughter. –"Well, I'm going up to my room and rest for a bit before dinner, Chloé dear. I'll see you in an hour." –he said, as he got up and walked to the door.

Chloé had had no idea just how much pressure her dad was under. She knew that he had been having trouble because of the akuma attacks that Hawk Moth sent after her and the rest of her friends. But she never thought that things were that bad. After hearing what he had told her, Chloé wished she could do something to help out. And then, it hit her. As Chloé Bourgeois there was not much she could to help at that point, but Queen Bee was a totally different story. She began to think, on how she and the others could help out rising the spirits of the whole town, by showing up at the parade, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt it was a great idea.

"What're you thinking about?" –Pollen said. She had waited a couple of minutes after Chloé's dad exited, before showing up again. –"You haven't said a word since your dad left."

"I'm thinking…" –Chloé said.

"Thinking? About what?" –Pollen asked her, puzzled.

"About how I can help my dad… he was right when he said that people need to have their spirits risen." –Chloé told her. –"And I know just how I… no, how we all can do that."

"How?" –Pollen asked her.

"You'll know in a moment. First, I've got to call Sabrina and asked her about this too." –Chloé said, as she went to get her cell phone to call her best friend.

* * *

At that moment, Sabrina had just finished helping her mother baking some cookies. Taking them out of the oven, the still hot-sizzling cookies perfumed the kitchen and the rest of the house with its delicious aroma. Inhaling this aroma was one of the things the redhead loved doing the most, every time she and her mother baked cookies. Putting the tray on top of the kitchen table, she then proceeded to remove them from the tray and into a plate.

"Mmm… these smell so good, mom." –Sabrina said. –"I think we did a pretty good job with them." –she said, as she removed the last cookie form the tray.

"Well, that's what happens when you have the best helper in the world." –she told Sabrina. –"Sabrina, dear, is that your cell phone I'm hearing?" –she asked her.

It was her cell phone, alright. Sabrina had left it on her room to charge, while she helped her mother with the cookies. Taking off her kitchen gloves, she ran to her room to pick up the call. When she opened the door, she saw her kwami Mika, next to the cell, pointing to it.

"It's Chloé." –the wolf kwami told her.

"I wonder why she's calling me… could there be an emergency I'm not aware off." –Sabrina said, as she grabbed the cell and answered it. –"Hello?"

"Sabrina, about time! I was starting to think you weren't going to answer." –Chloé stated.

"Sorry, I was on the kitchen with my mom. We just made cookies." –Sabrina told her. –"But, why? What's the matter? Is there a problem?" –she asked the blonde, fearing the worst.

"No, there's nothing wrong, it's just that I find out about something really cool and I had an idea on how to improve it."

"What are you talking about, Chloé?" –Sabrina asked her, as she sat on her bed. It was not the first time the blonde called her to tell her about an idea she had, and she knew that it was going to take a little time for her to get to the point, so she sat and listened.

During the following five minutes, Chloé told her everything what her dad had told her earlier. About how he was overworked and stressed because of the akuma attacks, and how that was affecting his job as mayor of Paris, and how people there had decided that having a Halloween parade would be the best thing to lift people's spirits after all the craziness that Hawk Moth had caused in the city. It was then, that she explained her what her idea was about. She thought that if the objective was to rise people's spirits and make them forget about what happened, then the two of them and the rest of the Miraculous Team could make an appearance at the parade and live up the party.

"Can you imagine that? All of us, appearing out of nowhere and just mingling with everyone that's in the party." –Chloé said.

"I think it's a wonderful idea, Chloé." –Sabrina told her. When she told her about it, the redhead almost jumped out of joy. And she was sure the others were also going to love Chloé's idea, when they heard it.

"You really think so?" –Chloé asked her

"I know so." –Sabrina said. –"You got to tell the others about it too."

"You really think they're going to like it?" –Chloé insisted on the matter, a little unsure. She knew Sabrina was going to like it, but that was because they were best-friends and she knew how Sabrina would react to it. As for the others' reactions, that was a different story.

"I would be lying if I told they wouldn't." –Sabrina giggled. –"I mean, it's a fantastic idea. Usually, when we show up it's to fight bad guys and save the day." –she said. –"This time, we'll be there to help people have a great time. After all, it's a superhero's job to make sure that everyone's safe and happy."

"You just quoted Master Fu, didn't you?" –Chloé laughed.

"Yeah, I did, and Mika's also saying the same thing as you." –Sabrina giggled, as she looked at Mika mimicking Master Fu, when giving them advices and bits of knowledge. –"But you should really tell the others about this. Why not call Marinette? She's the leader after all. If she likes the idea, and I know she will, she can help you convince anyone who might not like it… though I think that's not going to happen." –she told her. –"Everyone's going to love it."


	4. Secrets of the Night

After dinner, Marinette began working on Manon’s Halloween outfit. She had decided to get it done as quickly as possible, so there would be one less item on her to-do list. With so much to do during the next couple of days, one less thing to do could mean the difference between success and defeat. Knowing that, she focused on the task at hand. If it was up to her, Manon was going to have the best Halloween costume in all of Paris.

“Okay, let’s see… we need to sew over here, and maybe give loosen it a bit here in the sleeves.” –Marinette told herself, as she grabbed the scissors.

As she worked, she also kept thinking about the thing that had been taking most of her thoughts that day… Adrien. She spent most of the day thinking of ways to make Adrien’s Halloween as special as the previous one, when they both went trick or treating with Nino and Alya. Still, all ideas she came up with were either too ridiculous, impossible or just plain old dumb. She did not even tell Tikki about it, because she did not want her to get worried about how obsessed she was becoming with that. She believed she would be able to come up with an idea, but she feared that when she did, Halloween would be over.

“ _Come on, Marinette, think! You’re a smart girl, you can come up with an idea, can’t you?_ ” –Marinette asked herself. –“ _I’m starting to believe I can’t… maybe I’m just forcing it too much. Maybe that’s it, I’m overthinking it and… ouch!_ ”

She was so immersed in her thoughts she ended up prickling herself with a needle. When Tikki heard her yelp, she quickly ran to her to see what happened. The little kwami had been silently staring out the window, looking at what happened in the street, and would have kept doing it, if not for Marinette’s yelp.

“What happened?” –the kwami asked her.

“Nothing, I just prickled myself.” –Marinette told her.

“Maybe you should take a break, you know?” –Tikki advised her. –“You know, read a book or watch television? If you prickled yourself that means you’re getting tired and need to do something else to get your strength back.” –she told Marinette.

“No need, I’m fine.” –Marinette said, which made Tikki giggle. –“What? What’s so funny? Did I say something funny?” –the girl asked her.

“It’s just that… that was the same thing Paola used to say, you know?” -Tikki told her.

“One of the sisters that had my miraculous and Alya’s miraculous?” –Marinette asked her, remembering Tikki and Trixx talking about her and her sister Anna.

“That’s the one. She had a knack for painting. She pained some of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen… but sometimes, when she started to get sloppy on her painting, I would tell her that she needed to stop and do something else, so her mind could rest. And you know what she said?” –Tikki asked her. –“She would say the exact same thing you did… “No need, I’m fine.” –she said. –“And then, she would end up painting something she would deem awful and blame herself for it, saying that she did not have any sort of talent… a little bit like you do, sometimes.”

“You miss her a lot, don’t you?” –Marinette asked her.

“I miss every last one of my previous holders. Some more than others, but I miss them all.” –Tikki told her. You could hear the sadness in her voice, although one would only need to look into the kwami’s eyes to see that same sadness.

“It mustn’t be easy for you. You’re immortal and we’re not. Sooner or later we die and you and the other kwamis stay behind.” –Marinette said.

“I have to admit that it’s not the best thing in the world, but the others and I are used to it by now.” –Tikki told Marinette. –“Humans usually say that time is their enemy, because with each passing minute, they’re closer to their deaths. But the truth is time’s not your enemy, it’s your friend. If you could live forever, you would most likely not appreciate what you have over the course of your lives.” –she said. –“For us kwamis, time really is our enemy. We’re immortal, while our holders aren’t… like you said, we’re doomed to stay behind, while you die. You can spend the rest of your lives with us, but we can’t spend the rest of our lives with you.”

As she said those last words, a small tear ran down her face. Feeling like she had touched a sensitive subject, Marinette cupped her hands around her kwami and gently held her. It was not her intention to make Tikki cry. 

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.” –Marinette said.

“I-It’s okay.” –Tikki told her. –“I’m better now. I just needed to get that out of my chest, that’s all.” –she said.

“I know that like all the others, I’ll also die one day. But until then, believe me, I’ll be by your side, the whole time… and we’ll have so many adventures, that you’ll have difficulty in choosing which ones to tell your next holder.” –Marinette told Tikki, trying to make her feel better. –“Come on, let’s see that famous smile of yours, Tikki, come on. If you start crying, I’ll also cry and I don’t want to right now.” –she said, as she did her best to hold her tears.

“Okay.” –Tikki smiled to her.

It was such a sweet and tender moment between them, that it felt like time had stopped. But it did not, and the moment was interrupted when Marinette’s cell phone began ringing. Letting go of Tikki, the blue-haired girl grabbed the cell phone that was by her sewing machine, thinking that it was most likely Alya wanting to talk with her, when she was surprised to see the name of the person who was calling her right then.  

“Chloé? Chloé’s calling me? That’s unusual… what do you think she wants?” –Marinette asked Tikki, who was hovering next to her.

“I don’t know, and you won’t know either, if you don’t answer the call.” –Tikki told her.

“Point taken. I just hope it’s something important because we were having a moment here… okay, that didn’t come out as I wanted, but you know what I mean.” –Marinette said, as she answered the call. –“Hello?”

“Marinette, I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” –Chloé asked her. –“B-Because if I am, I can call you later, if you want to.” –she said. For some reason, the blonde had been rather nervous about calling Marinette and had been gathering the courage to do that for the last hour. Of course, she would never admit it, especially to her former rival for Adrien’s affections.  

“No, it’s okay, I wasn’t doing anything.” –Marinette lied to her. –“What’s the matter? Is there something wrong?”

“Oh, no, on the contrary… you see… I… well, the thing is that…” –Chloé tried to tell her about her idea, but for some reason, she just could not bring herself to say it. She did not know if it was her fear of thinking that Marinette would instantly say that it was a lousy idea, or if it was her own fear of thinking the idea was not good enough.

“Chloé, I’m not understanding a word you’re saying. Is everything alright?” –Marinette asked her.

On the other side of the line, Pollen tried her best to tell her to just say what she wanted to say to Marinette in one quick move.  

“Just say it. Don’t stutter, Chloé.” –the bee kwami told her.

“Easy for you to say…” –Chloé whispered back at Pollen. –“Hum… Marinette… I… I…”

“What?! What is it, Chloé?! You’re starting to worry me…” –Marinette told her. –“Can’t believe I actually told her this… a couple of months ago, I would never, not even a million years, say that I was worried about her.” –she thought to herself.

“Okay… my dad’s organizing a Halloween parade in two days, and  I had an idea of us showing up on the Halloween Parade dressed up in our super suits and just try and make it even better by showing off our abilities and  well, I don’t know if it’s a good idea or not, but I thought it would be good for us to show up and help make the parade even better…” –Chloé started to talk almost at the speed of light, telling Marinette her idea. The trouble was, she talked so fat that the blue-haired girl did not understand a single word she said with the exception of “Halloween” and “parade”.

Letting her finish talking, she then asked her to slow down a bit and tell her what was going on, at a normal speed, so she would understand what was going on. Doing it so, she heard the whole idea and immediately liked it. That was probably the best idea Chloé had since they met. It was an amazing idea, and Marinette was just sad she did not think about it. She had seen the commercial on TV, announcing the parade earlier that evening and was excited about it. She had already told herself that she was going to it, and now, with Chloé’s idea, she had even more reasons to attend it.

“So? What do you think? Is it a good idea?” –Chloé asked Marinette, still unsure if she made the right move telling her about it.

“I think it’s a great idea, Chloé.”-Marinette chirped. –“I just wished it had been me having it.” –she told the heiress.

“You think so?” -Chloé asked her, a little surprised to hear her say that.

“I know so. And I’m glad that you had it. Have you told anyone else about it?” -Marinette asked her.

“Just Sabrina. Why?”

“Oh, nothing. I just wanted to know if I was the first one to know about it.” –Marinette told her. –“Are you going to tell anyone about it tonight, or are you going to wait until tomorrow when we’re at school?”

“I think I’ll wait until tomorrow, if that’s okay with you.” –Chloé declared.

“Fine by me. I won’t say a word about it, and I’ll let you give the news to everyone else.”

“You think they’re going to like the idea?”

“I think so. I mean, it’s a great idea, why wouldn’t they like it?” -Marinette chucked. –“Chloé, you are a genius.”    

“Oh thanks… I know I am, but it’s nice to hear someone say it.” -Chloé said with a slightly pompous voice, making Marinette tell herself that that was definitely Chloé she was talking with. –“So, I’ll see you tomorrow?

“Definitely. And remember, tomorrow we’re going to have lots of work to do, so be ready to dirty your hands.” -Marinette chuckled. –“See you tomorrow, Chloé.”

“See ya, Marinette.” -Chloé said, as she ended the call.

It took Marinette less than a minute to tell Tikki everything Chloé told her, and just like it happened with her, the ladybug kwami also loved the whole idea of them showing up at the parade. She was even a little envious of them, because though she would be present, it would not be in her physical form, to see them all having fun.

“It’s not the first-time miraculous heroes show up in parades, you know?” -Tikki told her. –“Back in ancient times, they used to have parades for them, whenever they vanquished an enemy. Those were pretty good times.” -she said, while remembering them.  

“I bet they were.” -Marinette chuckled, just imagining how those parades had been, with some of their predecessors being thanked by everyone for their heroic feats. –“I got to tell this to Alya.” –she said, as she dialled her friend’s number. –“Let’s just hope she hasn’t gone to sleep yet.”

“Didn’t you promise Chloé that you wouldn’t tell a soul about this, so she could tell the others tomorrow?” -Tikki asked her.

“Yes, I did. I told her I wouldn’t tell a soul, but Alya’s a different story. She’s my best friend, and besides, I’ll ask her to act fully surprised tomorrow. That way, I won’t break any promises.” –Marinette smirked evilly, as she heard Alya answering the call. –“Alya? Guess what? I’ve got awesome news!”

* * *

The night was chilly. It was in fact, a typical autumn night. If one would pay attention, it could tell that it would start raining in a couple of hours just by the electricity in the air, or the mix of scents that perfumed the atmosphere just before a lightning storm. Still, the chance of starting to rain did not stop two girls from going out that night. Rose and Juleka were the ones on surveillance duty that night, and as such, they transformed into Flamingo and Corbeau Noire to do it. And if it started to rain, all they needed to do was fly above the clouds, a pretty standard trick for the two of them.

Ever since they had begun to date, the two girls treated every time they were alone like a date. Though they had been dating for only a couple of days, and no one knew about it, or even suspected it, to them it felt like they had been dating since the moment they met each other. Flying over the town, both girls could not help but to exchange flirting looks with one another. They knew that night it was their responsibility to make sure the city of Paris was safe from Hawk Moth and his minions, should they show up, but they just could not control themselves. Whenever they had the chance, they would stop on the tallest structure they could find near them to trade a few gestures of affection with one another, or even to share a simple kiss, that would turn into a series of quick kisses, followed by one long and passionate kiss that made their blood boil in their veins.

“You know… if you keep kissing me like that, I’ll go wild.” –Corbeau Noire told Flamingo.

“Wild? That’s a first for you. Weren’t you the one who told me once that only very special things would drive you wild?” –Flamingo asked her, with a playful smile on her face.

“Well, you’re one of those very special things.” –Corbeau Noire smiled.

“Oh, come on, stop it!” –Flamingo giggled. –“You’re making me blush.”

“Even more than what you are? Then again, with all that pink you’re wearing, one would hardly know you’re blushing.” –the raven heroine told her girlfriend.

“Stop it!” –Flamingo giggled, as she playfully hit her on the shoulder.

“Sorry, I just can’t help myself.” –Corbeau Noire said.

 Standing right there on top of that building, they both placed their arms around each other’s waist and stood there, admiring the view.

“It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?” –Flamingo told her.

“Well, it’s not the most beautiful night I’ve seen, but having you next to me, makes it special.” –Corbeau Noire told her.

“You’re so sweet, Juleka.” –Flamingo said, as she nuzzled herself against Corbeau Noire’s body.

“Rose… what did we agree about using our real names?”

“Sorry, couldn’t help myself.” –Flamingo smiled, as she planted a kiss on her lips. –“You know, this is almost criminal.”

“What?”

“You know, having you all to myself, and not telling a soul about our relationship.” -Flamingo told her, as she caressed her lover’s sweet face.

“Well, there are perks to that.” –Corbeau Noire said. –“This way, I can have you all to myself.” –she said. As Juleka, she would never muster up the courage to say that to her girlfriend, but as Corbeau Noire, she had the courage of a whole regiment, and had no problem and saying those words out loud to her.  

“Hey, that’s my line, silly!” -Flamingo giggled, as she hugged her. There was a long silence, before the blonde broke it by saying something that –“Do you think it will always be like this?”

“Like what?” -Corbeau Noire asked her.

“You know, like this? The two of us.” –Flamingo told her. She was referring to the fact that the two of them would be together forever.

“I hope so.” –Corbeau Noire broke the embrace and looked Flamingo in the eyes. –“Because I don’t ever want this to end. If something should happen to you, I…”

“I know… I would do the same.” –Flamingo told her. –“But don’t think about it. Everything will turn out okay.”

Though the two of them did not want to talk about it, there was one thing that bothered them… how were their families going to react when they revealed their relationship to them? They were positive that their friends would be happy for them, as well as supportive of their relationship. But their families were a different matter and they both feared that they would not understand what they had between them, and forced them to never see each other again. Just the thought of it made them both shiver in fear more than any akuma they had faced until then. But, before either one of the girls could talk about it, they heard an alarm going out not far from where they were.

“You heard that, didn’t you?” -Corbeau Noire asked Flamingo.

“I did. Smells like trouble.” -Flamingo said.

“It could be someone who forgot to lock the car and the alarm went off, or…”

“… or it could be someone robbing a car or a store.” Flamingo finished her girlfriend’s sentence. –“Either way, we’ve got to check it out.”

“My thoughts exactly.” -Corbeau Noire said, when she was pulled into a kiss by Flamingo. –“What was that for?”

“For good luck.” -Flamingo smiled.

“You’re not Chat, you know that, right?” -the raven heroine smiled back.

“I know, but it can’t hurt giving you a good luck kiss.” -Flamingo giggled, while winking at her.

“You need to come up with better excuses, if you’re going to keep stealing kisses from me, Rose.” -Corbeau Noire told her. –“Now, come on, grab my hand, and let’s go.” -she said, as Flamingo grabbed her hand, and the two let themselves fall down from the building.

The sound of the alarm was coming from a block way. A group of crooks wearing ski masks had just broken into a jewellery and was now looting every last showcase where there was something they considered valuable. Rings, watches, jewels, everything was put inside a bag each one of them was carrying. Every time they gave a step, all they heard was the unmistakable sound of glass breaking under their feet, mixed with the sound of the alarm. It was not until one of them found the alarm bell and destroyed it with a well-placed bullet, that the alarm stopped. Still, they only had a couple of minutes before the police showed up, so while most of them looted the showcases, two of the robbers went straight for the vault. They were going to use plastic explosives to blow up the lock. They knew that most jewellers kept the most valuable pieces inside the vaults, so they were going to break into it and take everything they could, before the police showed up.

“Come on, come on, we’re almost out of time! The police will be here any minute!”

“Don’t worry, just give me a couple of seconds to set the explosives on. Just be ready to grab everything you can, once I blew up the lock.”

But before he could place the explosive in the lock, there was a loud thud heard, not just by them, but also by the rest of their crew. Turning around, they saw themselves face to face with two members of the Miraculous Team, looking at them.

“Drop the bags, boys!” -Corbeau Noire exclaimed.  

“You heard her. Drop the bags and whatever else you may have in your pockets and put your hands in the air.” -Flamingo told them.

“Or what, little birds?” -one of the assailants asked them in a mocking voice.

“Or else we’re going to break your arms and hands, tie you up like Christmas turkeys and leave you for the police to take you to the nearest police station, that’s what’s going to happen.” –Corbeau Noire said

“She must think she’s Batman or something.” -one of the assailants laughed, when he saw something pass right next to him at an incredible speed, carving it itself on the wall behind him. Turning around, he saw it was Flamingo’s cane, which she ordered to come back to her.

“Last warning, boys. We don’t want hurt you, but we will if we have to.” -Flamingo warned them. –“And before any of you think you can take us on, remember that we earn our living kicking the butts of creatures and people who shoot ice from their hands, can fly, among other things. So, no funny businesses, okay?”

She had not finished her sentence, when one of the assailants pulled out a 9mm from his pocket and pointed at them. But, Corbeau Noire saw it coming and used her shadow manipulation power to quickly force the guy to drop it. The shadow had cut into his hand. It was not an ugly cut, but it was still bleeding a little. Ordering the shadow around, she told it to bring the weapon to her.   

“You do that again, and instead of a simple cut, you’ll lose all your fingers. Believe me, you’ll need a doctor to stitch you up really good.” -Corbeau Noire said, as she crushed the weapon with her hands. When she did this, she was even impressed with herself and her strength. She never thought she would be able to crush a firearm with own hands, and render is useless.

“Any other bright ideas, boys?” -Flamingo asked them.

The other assailants seeing this, quickly dropped everything and placed their hands in the air. They understood that they were no match for the two girls. Still, one of them tried to make a run for it, only for Flamingo to catch him with a nice, well-placed swing from her cane. With the assailant lying on his back, she quickly caught him by both hands and dragged him to where Corbeau Noire was holding the rest, with one of her shadows.

“You got room for one more?” -Flamingo asked her.

“You bet I do.” -Corbeau Noire told her, as she ordered one of the shadows to grab the one that Flamingo had just caught. –“You guys really need to think of a career change.”

“Well, they’ll have plenty of time to think about it, when they’re in jail.” -Flamingo told her.

“So true.” -Corbeau Noire said. Truth be told, the girls did not expect anything like that to happen that night, but they were glad it did, because it allowed them to test their abilities against arm thugs, and gave them something to talk about with the rest of her friends in the morning.

* * *

At Mylene’s place, the girl was ecstatic. When she first saw that her dad’s theatre company was going to be part of the grand Halloween parade that was to take place in two days, she could not believe it. He had told her that it was something big, but she never thought it would be that big. He was going to literally perform for all of Paris.

“Dad, why didn’t you tell me?!” -Mylene asked her dad, still thrilled with what she had seen on the commercial. She was still trying to process that she had seen the theatre company’s name her father worked in on the list of people that were going to act on the Halloween parade organized by City Hall.

“Because I wanted to be a surprise.” -he told her. Fred Haprèle always had a flair for the suspense, and he made sure to use it, every time he could. –“And don’t tell me you weren’t surprised by it, sweetie?”

“Of course, I was.” -Mylene said. -“tell me, tell me… what are you going to be in the parade? Are you going to show up as your famous Mime character from _The Mime’s Extraordinary Adventures_?” -she asked him. That was her father’s biggest work until then, and he loved playing the character.

“I am.” -Fred told his daughter.

“Is there a chance that this time you might have a sidekick to help you during the performance?” -Mylene shyly asked him. She had wanted to be part of the play ever since its debut. –“I’ve been practicing a lot, dad. And I would love to have perform next to you.” -she said.

“I wish it would be possible, sweetie, but they already decided who’s going to perform, and how are things going to play.” -Fred told her. –“Believe me, if it was up to me, I would love to have you by my side in two days.” -he said. –“But, we’ll have that chance, sooner or later.”

Mylene was sad to hear that, but she understood. She really wanted to act side by side with her dad, and she knew that one day she would have that chance. She would just have to wait for that day to come. And until then, she would be there to support her dad, just as he did with her.

“I understand.” -Mylene told him. –“Then, you can bet that I’ll be in the audience, watching you perform, along with the best.” -she smiled.          


	5. Heads Will Roll

The following day at Collége François-Dupond, the two main conversation subjects between students were the Halloween Parade that was to take place the next day, and the robbery to a jewellery store that had been thwarted by Corbeau Noire and Flamingo from the Miraculous Team the previous night. Everyone was talking about it, and the students from Miss Bustier's class were no exception. As they worked on putting up everything for the school's Halloween party, Marinette and the others kept asking Rose and Juleka for details on what happened the previous night, while they were on patrol. The girls, of course, said that it had been no big deal, and that they would have done the same thing, if they were in their shoes.

"Come on, it was no big deal." -Rose smiled.

"Yeah. I mean, Adrien and Nino also stopped a couple of robbers a few weeks ago." -Juleka told them, as she continued to paint what would be one of the backgrounds for the photo booth. Nathaniel had been chosen by his friends to draw them, while they coloured them as best as they could.

"Maybe, but they did not have firearms." -Adrien told them.

"Yeah, ours were low-life thugs, while yours were professional robbers." -Nino said.

"Professional? They broke the window with a brick, then proceeded to smash every last showcase and grab every last piece of jewellery into burlap bags. Not to mention they were going to blow up a safe with explosives… not very professional, if you ask me." -Rose said.

"They were C-class amateurs at best." -Juleka added.

"Still, I think it's the first time anyone in this team went up against firearms. I mean, baseball bats, knives and even chains, I think we all faced bad guys brandishing those, but firearms, that's a first." -Marinette said.

"Weren't you scared?" -Mylene asked them.

It was a good question. They both wanted to tell her that they were not scared by the firearms, especially when one of the robbers tried to shoot Flamingo. But the truth was, they did not feel anything. It had happened so fast that they were not even allowed the time to think about it. When they finally had the time, it had already passed. It was rather strange, now that they thought about it.

"Actually, we didn't even have the time to be scared." -Juleka said.

"It was all so fast… thinking about it now, I guess I would have been scared, we're not bulletproof after all." -Rose said.

"To be fair, most people get more scared from seeing a knife pointed at them, then a firearm." -Max declared making the others all look at him with a rather speculative look in their faces. –"I'm not kidding. Scientific studies have proven that. They don't know why that happens, but if I had to take a guess, I would say that it's because we don't see the bullets coming at us when they're fired. Because of that, our brain reacts differently when they see a knife." -he said

"Max, the scientist, for you all." -Kim chuckled. –"You never leave us without an answer for the great mysteries that exist in our world, buddy."

"Well, I do try." -Max chuckled back.

"Either way, it was very brave what you two did last night." -Sabrina said. –"Let's just hope that if something like that happens to any of us, while we're on patrol, that we have the same luck you did."

"Luck had nothing to do it!" -Flint spoke from inside Rose's handbag. He had been quiet ever since the blonde had arrived at school, but now, had broken the silence. –"Our Goth girl over there has sweet moves and was able to snatch the weapon out of the robber's hands, before he could use it on Goldie Locks here." -he said.

"It was no big deal. I just happened to see it coming." -Juleka said.

"Well, luck or talent, what matters is that you did an amazing job, and we're proud of you both." -Alya said. –"Now that you caught those guys, low-life criminals like them will have to think twice, before thinking of robbing anything." -she declared.

"You make it sound like we're all Batman or something." -Alix told her.

"Well, if we were Batman, we would have all those fancy gadgets and cool vehicles at our disposal… not to mention a ton of cash." -Nino said. –"And the only ones among us who could even become Batman are either Adrien or Chloé, thanks to them being rich, and I'm not seeing either Adrien's dad or Chloé's dad letting them use their fortune to become a masked vigilante." -he joked.

They suddenly stopped talking, when they saw Miss Bustier approaching them. Getting back to work, they pretended they had not seen her approaching, until she was just a couple of feet from them. Smiling, she asked them how was work coming along.

"So far, so good, Miss Bustier." -Alya told her.

"Alright, if you say so. But remember, you don't have to rush it. You can finish it, and the rest of the things after lunch." -Miss Bustier said. –"Oh, and Chloé, I don't know if the principal has already told you this, but, we're very thankful to you and your father for loaning all of these props for the party. They will give the party a different vibe, not doubt about it." -she said, as she pointed out to the chandelier that was being placed on top of the ceiling right then,

"It was my pleasure, Miss Bustier." -Chloé smiled. Just like everyone else, Miss Bustier was also impressed by how much the blonde had changed. Her thoughts were that she had grown and matured over the last summer, and was now a different girl, from what she used to be. Though that was in part true, she was only half-right. Part of what had made her change was her having become a superhero. –"Plus, on top of everything that I ordered, I was also wondering, if you and the rest of the school staff would like to have some real dead bodies decorating the place. If so, I can ask my dad if they can loan a couple of them from medical school."

"Oh, no, no, Chloé. I think that would be a little too extreme, even for a Halloween party." -Miss Bustier told her. She had to admit it was a unique idea, but there were some ideas that as much unique they were, they should remain just ideas. –"But thanks for asking." -she smiled. –"Remember, you still have time, so work slowly and if you have any doubts, you know where I will be"

Leaving them to get back to work, Miss Bustier joined the other teachers that were right then supervising two of the other classes, who were putting up the first few pieces of their crypt walls on the walls, to give the gym a creepier look. As they continued to work, Chloé also told them about her idea for the Halloween parade. Marinette had not said a word, because she felt it was not her right to tell the others about this, so she waited for the heiress to decide on when to tell them.

"Guys… when we were talking about the Halloween parade earlier on, I… I wanted to tell you about an idea I had, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it." -Chloé told them.

"Why did you do that?" -Adrien asked her.

"Yeah, whatever your idea was, it can't be worse than Kim's ideas." -Alix joked.

"She's right… what? Hey! I don't have bad ideas, Alix!" -Kim yelled at the pink-haired girl.

"Says who? You, meathead?!" -Alix laughed in Kim's face. She loved to get on his nerves.

"Enough, the two of you!" -Marinette told them. She could not help but to feel like the mother of those two right then. –"Let Chloé talk, okay? If you guys want to get on each other's nerves, then do it later, okay?"

"Thanks, Marinette." -Chloé said. Hearing her thanking someone was almost surreal to her friends. They all agreed that it was going to take a while for them to get fully used to hearing Chloé being nice towards everyone, all the time. –"Okay, as I was saying, I had an idea and…"

She quickly summed up the whole idea to the others, explaining that it would be nice for them to do something different as a superhero team, as well as providing the inhabitants of Paris with a good show. Even Marinette, Alya and Sabrina, who already knew about that and had been fully convinced the night before, when they heard the idea, felt more than ever that it was a great idea, and that Chloé was right, it was their responsibility to also rise everyone's spirits.

"So, what do you guys think?" -Chloé asked them. It did not take more than a couple of seconds, before she heard what the others thought about it.

"I think it's a great idea." -Sabrina smiled.

"She's right, it really is a great idea." -Nathaniel declared.

"It's actually the perfect idea… I mean, for me at least." -Mylene said a bit shyly. –"It's just that, my dad's going to perform on the parade, and well, because it's impossible for me to perform by his side as his sidekick, as Forest Doe I could actually perform alongside him." -she told them.

"I would dig doing that." -Nino said. –"I mean, you've all watched the commercial, right? This is going to be a parade that everyone will be talking about for decades to come. Their bringing in two big musical celebrities to play at the parade… jagged Stone and Daft Punk. What are the odds of that ever happening again? Not many, I can tell you. Plus, they announced that Disney characters are going to make an appearance at the parade." -he said. –"I don't know about you, but I intend to be there as a certain turtle hero."

"Who? Leonardo or one of the other Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?" -Alya joked with him, with earned her a disapproving eye from Nino. –"Oh, come on, don't be such a sourpuss. I'm only kidding with you." -she giggled.

"You're lucky I love you enough to forget about those comments, don't you?" -Nino flirted with her.

"You know it." -Alya giggled.

Marinette could not help but to also giggle, as she watched that scene. Alya was never the girl who believed in fairy tales or love at first sight, saying that love was for saps. But ever since she had begun dating Nino, all those things she claimed to be ridiculous, looked a little less ridiculous in her eyes. The two of them were clearly made for each other, just like she herself believed that Adrien and herself had been made for each other as well. Without noticing, she began to smile like an idiot, while staring into the horizon.

"Marinette? Marinette?! Marinette, did you hear me?!" -Adrien called her, as he shook her by the shoulder.

"Uh, what? What happened?"

"I said I thought it was great idea, and I was asking you if you also liked it or not?" -Adrien asked her.

"Oh, that! Yes, I do. I think Chloé hit the jackpot with that one." -Marinette waved her head, trying to not sound like a dweeb when talking with Adrien. –"Great work, Chloé."

"Thank you." -Chloé smiled at her.

"So, then, it's settled? We'll show up and give everyone a spectacle like no one has ever seen?" -Ivan asked them.

"You bet we will." –Alix said. –"I've got some wicked air tricks I've been dying to try in public, and this is the perfect time to do it."

"It may not be easy for me to attend this, with my dad at home and all." -Adrien said. When he said that, Marinette's heart sank into her shoes like a rock. But, it did not take long for it to go back to its original place, when she heard Adrien again. –"I'll have to come up with an excuse to lock myself in my room the rest of the night, so I can sneak out through the window." -he chuckled.

"That's my bro!" -Nino exclaimed, as he patted him on the back. –"Well, you'll have tons of time to think of a good excuse, during lunch."

"Thanks."

"Yeah, but before we can even think of lunch, we still have so much to finish here." -Sabrina said, as she turned to Nathaniel. –"Nathaniel, I know you're just being creative, but can you make these background a little less complex? It's taking us forever to finish painting them." -she asked them, as Nathaniel himself finished one more background.

"I can try… but they might not look as scary as the ones you're already working on." -Nathaniel said.

"Come on, we can all do this." -Chloé told her, as she herself grabbed a brush, something the old Chloé would never do.

"Chloé's right, we can do this." -Adrien said.

"Let's finish two more, so we can all go have lunch and then come back to finish the rest." -Kim said, as he also grabbed one of the brushes.

* * *

While Miss Bustier's class did their best to complete the job they had been assigned to do for the school's Halloween party, outside of the centre of Paris, in Montreuil, Mayor André Bourgeois was doing a quick inspection to the floats that were going appear in the Halloween parade, along with his closest advisors and some of the staff in charge with the production of the parade. The floats themselves were being housed in three large warehouses, where carpenters, electricians, painters and others had been working day and night to have them ready for the parade.

As he walked in the first warehouse, he smelled the unmistakable odour of cut wood mixed with fiberglass and several kinds of paint and varnishes. The place was well lit, and when he laid his eyes on first float, it reminded him of something taken right off an old black and white horror movie. Its design was incredible, and the piece at the top of it with an amazing and rather menacing giant skeleton, which reminded anyone who looked at it of Jack Skellington, that moved its arms and head was sure to make everyone applaud as it passed by. The second one looked like a stage where a heavy metal rock band would play, filled with numerous creepy gargoyles with menacing glowing red eyes. Some of the gargoyles had even been built to spit fire. It was going to be the float where one of the two musical guests, Jagged Stone, was going to perform. The float's design was done by himself, and just like all the rest, it had been built in an almost record time.

Looking at them, Mayor Bourgeois knew the whole parade was going to be a smashing success. This would be something the whole city would be talking for years to come, and all thanks to him and his executive staff, who had the idea to do it. As both a businessman and a politician, Andre Bourgeois knew that in order to leave a good impression on people, one must make sure to impress them in the right way. And he was sure that that spectacle was going to do just that. Not only it would make people forget about what had been happening over the last few weeks, but it would also put him in the right path to be re-elected once more.

His train of thought was stopped by the director of the company that had been commissioned to work on those floats, who joined them, after talking with one of his foremen, regarding a last-minute change to one of the floats.

"So, what do you think, your honour?" -the director asked him. He was a man in his sixties, though the colours he wore made him look a little younger.

"I believe that you have done a phenomenal job." -Mayor Bourgeois told him, as they kept walking by the warehouse. –"I would be lying if I said that I was not impressed by the detailing of every one of these floats."

"Thank you, sir. But I must say that I only supervised their construction, along with every last of my foremen, who are the best at what they do. The workers that have been working day and night, they are the ones who deserve your special thanks, sir." -he told the Mayor.

"Then, be sure to tell them that from me. After all, what they have done in so little time, is nothing short than a miracle." -Mayor Bourgeois said, as he looked at another of the floats, this one looking like a giant Jack O'Lantern from where you could see several creepy arms and legs coming out of. A truly spectacular view. The more he saw of it, the more he wished it was already time for the parade to start. –"Although, I'm a little worried about something."

"What, you honour?" -he asked him.

"The mayor would like to know if you can all guarantee that the floats will be delivered on time to the warehouse where they will remain, until it's time for the parade?" -one of the advisors asked him, preventing the mayor from asking that himself.

"That won't be a problem. As you can see, almost every last of the floats is ready, with maybe one or two needing some finishing touches. We'll be transporting them tonight, so tomorrow any last-minute problem can be solved, before the parade starts." -the director said. –"I understand that you have reasons to be worried about it, but I can assure you, that in all my years doing this, we've never failed to deliver a project on time."

"That's good to know." -Mayor Bourgeois said, sighing out of relief. –"It would be a shame if one these floats did not show up at the parade, especially after all the work you put into them." -he said. Though those were the main attraction, the parade was also going to have guest floats from Disneyland, who had agreed to participate on it, along with several cast members.

"Well, like I told you and your team of advisors when you hired my company to do this, not only are we the best, we are also the fastest. Everything will be ready for the parade, you have my word on it." -he told the mayor.

"That is music to my ears. Once again, excellent work, and I can't wait to see them all lighted up, rolling down the Champs Elysees." -Mayor Bourgeois said.

Already outside, Mayor Bourgeois asked his advisors questions regarding the rest of the organization, as he made his way to his limousine. He was relieved to know that the floats city hall had commissioned on such short notice were nearly ready. But there was still so much to do, that a part of him kept asking if everything would go according to plan.

"Have the floats from Disneyland arrived yet?" -he asked his advisors. One of the first things he did when they suggested the idea for the parade was to request the help of Disneyland, who were professionals when it came to celebrate Halloween.

"Yes, sir. They have arrived early this morning." -one of the advisors, a young man in his late twenties, told him. –"There was a bit of commotion when they delivered them, because initially it was thought that they would be driven by workers employed by the city hall, and it turns out, Disneyland will not authorize the floats to be driven by anyone else, except their own workers, and if that was not the case, that they would take the floats back to the amusement park. We took the liberty to tell them that if that was what it took to secure the floats for the parade, then it was fine with us."

"It's good to know that the problem was solved." -Mayor Bourgeois. Said. –"And how many cast members are they providing for the parade?

"We have requested them 20 main cast members, as well as 50 performers, and according to the email that we received this morning, they will provide us those 20 main cast members, but only 40 performers. The reason, they said, is that it's high season for them at the park, and they need the performers."

"Do you wish us to email them back insisting on the 50 performers, your honour?"

"No, no, that won't be necessary. We already had those other performers confirmed, so having minus 10 performers isn't that bad. It will hardly be noticed." -Mayor Bourgeois said, as they headed to the limo. –"What matters is that the cast members are the exact number we asked for. People love Disney villains, and the more the merrier." -he said. –"By the way, which villains have been confirmed?"

"We still don't have a final list, sir, but they have guaranteed that at least Cruella DeVil, Jafar, Hades and Captain Hook are going to be four of those villains."

"Excellent. And regarding our musical guests, how are we in that point?"

When he asked that question, none of the advisors spoke. The mayor knew that when that happened, it meant that there really was a problem. It could be a big problem, or a small one, but there was a problem, and they have not been able to solve it. And since none of them spoke, it was up to him to break the silence.

"Can you please tell me if everything is alright with our musical guests? And please, don't lie to me. I know when you're lying." -Mayor Bourgeois said, as they reached the limo.

"Well, there is a little problem…" -the oldest of the advisors answered.

"Please, tell me it's not Jagged Stone." -Mayor Bourgeois said, as he entered the limo. –" _That man is a musical genius, but he's always coming up with new ways to get on people's nerves, when it comes to keeping up with his commitments… sometimes I think that he pays more attention to that crocodile of his, than to his fans._ " -he thought to himself. –"Please, tell me it's not him."

"It's not him, sir. In fact, his agent had already contacted us, stating that he will be landing this afternoon at Charles de Gaulle airport, upon which he will go the Le Grand Paris. I took the liberty of calling the hotel, so they have his usual suite ready, for when he arrives."

"Good, good, you did well. But if it isn't him, then, the problem is with…"

"Daft Punk, sir. Yes, we have received a call from their manager, and he says that they will not play at the parade, unless we pay them twice the amount that was agreed upon."

"Twice?! But that's absurd… I mean, the amount that we have offered them was already a little more than what we felt was a fair price, and now they want more?!" -Mayor Bourgeois asked out loud. –"What did you tell their manager?"

"I answered that we would think about it, and give them an answer until the end of the day, your honour."

"Artists… they always find a way to charge you more for a job, than initially agreed upon… every, single time." -Mayor Bourgeois sighed, while thinking about the price they were asking. It was a ridiculous amount, but with little more than 30 hours before the parade, they could not have one of their musical guests not show up because of a financial disagreement. They would just have to pay them. –"Fine! Pay them whatever they want!"

"But sir, if we do that, we'll blow our current budget for this parade." -the advisor told him.

"I don't care! I'll pay them from my own pocket if I have to, but I will not have people say that I've promised something and then I failed to deliver it." -Mayor Bourgeois said. –"I won't allow that to happen. Not if I can prevent it from happening. It's not just the name of everyone" -he said. –"Call them and tell them that."

"As you wish sir."

"Anything else?" -the mayor asked them.

"No sir." -he told him.

A little later, already on his office, Mayor Bourgeois had just finished signing some papers his secretary had brought him. Most of them were just legal documents, so he did not even bother to read them all the way down. Sighing, he looked at the time and noticed that it was way pass his lunch hour. Usually, he would just go out and lunch in some restaurant, but on that day, he was not in the mood. Everything related to the Halloween Parade had left him without the desire to go out. Instead, he called his secretary and asked her to get him a sandwich, adding that he would be having lunch in his office.

Going to the window, Andre Bourgeois stared out, appreciating the view. In all his years as mayor of Paris, there were three things he knew were true. First, was that no matter how much one tried, problems would appear out of nowhere, when you least expected. Second, being mayor ad its perks, but also its disadvantages. And third, the view from his office into the Seine and the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, had the power to soothe any headache. He had made a habit of going to the exact same spot near the window, just to gaze into the river and the cathedral ever since he became Mayor. At first, it was because he liked the view, but as the years went by, he found himself achieving temporary peace, while looking outside.

" _It beats yoga, any day._ " -Mayor Bourgeois told himself, as he kept staring out the window, while straightening his sash.

A knock on the door brought him back to reality. Thinking that it could not be his secretary with his lunch yet, he asked whoever it was at the door to come in. Just like he said, it was not his secretary. Instead, it was one of his advisors, and he looked quite stressed.

"What is the matter?" -Mayor Bourgeois asked.

"Sorry to bother you, your honour, but Le Parisien, Le Figaro, and a few more newspapers are asking your opinion regarding the announcement that the Miraculous Team is going to be at the parade." -the mayor's advisor said.

"What are you talking about?!" -Mayor Bourgeois asked him. It was the first time he heard such a thing, and though a part of him felt thrilled with those news, he wondered what he was talking about.

"It's all over the Internet. The announcement was done in a blog called Miraculous Blog." -he told the mayor. –"Let me see if I can access it on my cell." -he said, as he grabbed his cell and looked for it.

Just like he said a video had been posted in the Miraculous Blog, where Ladybug and Chat Noir showed up telling everyone that the two of them, as well as the rest of the Miraculous Team would be showing up on the Halloween Parade. Under the video, was a message from the blog's administrators, saying: " _Our heroes showed up and gave us this message to share with you, guys. Enjoy it!_ "

Clicking on the video, they both watched it.

" _Hey there, Miraculous Team fans! How are you today?!_ " -Ladybug waved to the camera. –" _I hope you are having an awesome day, and if you're not, well, then this piece of news is definitely going to improve it._ " -she smiled.

" _She's right, you know?_ " -Chat Noir waved to the camera. –" _Your two favourite heroes, are going to be present in this year's Halloween Parade, and we're not going alone. No way, we're bringing the rest of the crew with us. So, if you want to see us performing some of our stunts in an akuma-free environment, just come to the parade!_ "

" _We'll be waiting for you there! Until then, have an awesome Halloween! Ladybug and Chat Noir out!_ " -Ladybug said, as the video ended. Marinette and the others had filmed that during their lunch hour on the school's rooftop.

After watching the video, the first thing Mayor Bourgeois said was:

"Is this real? I mean, is this true? It's not a prank or anything? Because I can't comment on this, thinking it's real, only to find out later it's just a hoax."

"As far as I know, this blog is the official blog about the heroes, and every last piece of media that's ever been posted there have turned out to be real." -he told the mayor.

"If that's the case, then it's best I make a statement."

"Indeed, your honour."

"Well, then, here's what you're going to tell the newspapers and whatever other kind of media that ask about this, will be this." -Mayor Bourgeois cleared his voice. –"As mayor of this city, it is with great pride and pleasure that I applaud this initiative from Ladybug and the rest of her team. Not only do they show they have a great civic duty, but that on top of protecting our city, they also are willing to help rise the spirits of its inhabitants. I sincerely hope to see them in the parade, not only for the good our fair city, but also to provide one more reason for people to come out and enjoy a night that will surely be remembered by everyone." -he said. –"Did it come alright? Was it too pompous? Be honest."

"No sir, not at all. I believe it's the kind of message that is perfect for the occasion." -he said.

"I hope so." -Mayor Bourgeois said. –"Now that we also have the Miraculous Team showing up at the parade, there's no way anything can go wrong." -he said.

* * *

It did not take more than an hour before all of Paris knew about Ladybug and the remaining Miraculous Team announcing their presence in the Halloween Parade. If people were already thinking about attending it, now, they were certain to attend it, especially the younger ones, who were thrilled to know that their favourite heroes would be in it.

But, it was not just the younger ones who were thrilled to know that. Hawk Moth himself was also thrilled with it. When Reptile went out to catch some fresh air, the first thing he heard people talking were those very same news. Knowing that his master would want to know immediately, he ran back to the hideout to tell him the news. Once Hawk Moth found out about what was going to happen, he smiled evilly.

"You did good, Reptile." -Hawk Moth said.

"Thank you, master." -Reptile said, bowing his head.

"This is a surprisingly interesting piece of news." -Hawk Moth spoke. –"And here I thought that I would need to force those kids to show up, with one of my akumas." -he said. –"Guess luck smiles upon me."

Hearing his master say that, Reptile wanted to ask him what would their next step be, but he refrained himself from talking, and waited to see if Hawk Moth said something else.

"It would be a shame if I didn't take this opportunity to take care of those infernal brats once and for all, am I right or not, Reptile?"

"Yes, master. Absolutely." -the lizard man declared.

"I can feel my powers are slowly growing stronger, but they won't reach their peak until the night of October 31st. Only then, will my powers reach their full strength." -Hawk Moth said. –"Still, they are already strong enough to deal with those kids myself, tomorrow night." -he said. –"Reptile, ready yourself. Tomorrow night, you and Madame Romani will have the chance to redeem yourselves from your previous failures."

"As you wish, my master."

"Tomorrow night, I will do two things. I will destroy the Miraculous Team, once and for all, in front of everyone who's in that parade… and then, I will show them why they should fear my name, whenever they hear it." -Hawk Moth smirked, as he thought on how he was going to destroy his enemies. –"Tomorrow night, one thing's for certain… Heads will roll!"


	6. Get Ready for the Show

The next day that did not go by fast enough for most people, who just wanted night to come, so they could go and see the parade and enjoy themselves, while hearing Jagged Stone and Daft Punk, not to mention having the opportunity of seeing the Miraculous Team in person.

Among those people was none other than Alix, one of the members of the Miraculous team herself. All the work they had done at school that day had exhausted her, but as exhausted as she was, she was not going to miss the opportunity to show off her abilities as Dragonfly in front of all of Paris. Still, she had a hard time convincing her parents to let her go to the parade alone. At first, she thought of asking her old brother, to go with her, but quickly realized that if Jalil was with her, it would be hard for her to give him the split. She found out that he would not go with her either way, because he was super busy with work from college that night, and was not leaving his desk no matter what. It took all of Alix's charm to convince her parents, especially her dad to let her go. Given that he had already given her permission to attend the Halloween party at school the next day, letting her attend the parade was already stretching it. But in the end, after she promised to do the dishes for a whole month and cleaning up her room twice a week, he allowed her to go.

The parade was going to start in about an hour, and she still had so much to do. Having come out of the shower, she still had to pick her clothes, eat and then go. Luckily for her, Daria was there to help her. While she dried her hair, the dragonfly kwami went through her wardrobe and picked what he thought would be the best clothes for her to go out that night.

"I guess these will do." –Daria said, as he placed the long-sleeved shirt he had taken from the wardrobe on the bed. –"Do you like it?"

"Let's see…" -Alix said, as she looked at the clothes on her bed. –"I like the shirt, but, I don't think white pants will go with it." -she said.

"Then, maybe some jeans?" –Daria asked her.

"Absolutely." -Alix waved her head, as Daria went to the wardrobe and grabbed one of the various pairs of jeans the girl had. –"Oh, and could you also bring me my boots?"

"Which ones?"

"Hmmm… I think I'll take my heavy metal boots tonight." -Alix said, as she combed her hair, remembering that those particular boots were too heavy for Daria to lift all by himself. –"Hold on, I'll grab those. They're a little heavy for you."

"Are you by any chance calling me a weakling?" -Daria asked her. The dragonfly kwmai did not like people to think he was a wimp.

"No, it's just that you're going to need all of your strengths tonight, so when I transform, I'll be able to pull out all of the crazy stunts I can think of, without a hitch." -Alix told him. –"Plus, those boots are really heavy, and I don't want you to sprain anything." -she smiled to him.

Over the millenniums, Daria had various holders, but never one like Alix. Though she was a tomboy at heart, she would take her time to see if her clothes matched colours, or it any accessories she might wat to wear would go well with her clothes. Plus, she was an adrenaline junkie, who loved every kind of radical sport there was, and at the same time, she had a secret love for romantic comedies. This last secret, was a secret so dark, that she made Daria swear on his own existence, that he would never reveal it to anyone, stating that if anyone find out about it, especially Kim, he would never let her hear the end of it. In sum, she was one in a million, and he loved her for it.

"Fine, fine, I get it." -Daria told her. –"Now, hurry up and get ready! You still have to eat… not to mention, you also have to feed me something really good, before tonight's performance." -he chuckled.

"Don't worry. I bought you a king-size jar of pickles this afternoon. It's inside my backpack." -Alix told him. –"Go on, go grab it."

She had not finished talking, and Daria had flown to where Alix's backpack was. Quickly, he opened it and saw the giant pickle jar. Alix had bought him his favourite brand. He still remembered when he forced her to buy every single brand she could find, just so he could taste them and see which ones tasted closest to the ones he liked to eat. After nearly 14 different brands, he found one brand that tasted exactly like those he remembered liking. After a quick research, he found out that the company that made them, belonged to the descendent of the farmer who made them, and as such, the family recipe had survived over the centuries, ever since Daria went to sleep.

"Oh, I'm going to eat all these… just as soon, as I can open the jar." -Daria said, as he tried to drag the jar out of the backpack. Seeing this, Alix went to him and helped him to take the jar out of the backpack, and placing it on the floor.

"Try not to make a mess, and remember, chew your food." -Alix told him.

"You got it." -Daria said, as he unscrewed the lid. –"Now, get dressed and go eat so we can go out!" -he said, as he sipped the vinegar from the jar.

* * *

But, Alix was not the only one who was rushing to go out. Adrien was also doing his best to go and meet the rest of his friends. Because he knew his dad was not going to let him go out two days in a row, he had to come up with an excuse to lock himself in his room, just before dinner. Pretending to have caught a little cold, he told his dad he was going to bed earlier, so he would be all better in the morning. Gabriel Agreste agreed that he should get in bed as quickly as possible, but not before Nathalie would take him some chicken soup and an aspirin, so he could sleep better.

The hard part of his plan was to wait for Nathalie to bring him the chicken soup, along with the aspirin. To keep up with the charade, he changed into his pyjamas, and waited under the covers, for her to bring him his supper. Looking at the alarm clock in his bedside table, he saw that it was starting to get late.

"That Nathalie is taking her sweet time…" -Plagg told him. –"Do you think she went out to kill a chicken in order to make the chicken soup?"

"I don't think Nathalie would even know how to kill a chicken, even if she wanted to." -Adrien laughed. –"But you're right, she's taking a little longer than expected." -he said, as he once again looked at the clock.

"If she doesn't show up with that chicken soup soon, you're going to be late." -Plagg told him.

"You're just saying that, because you can't eat that stinky cheese of yours, before she gets here." -Adrien joked with him. He had forbidden Plagg from eating Camembert cheese before any of the house staff, or his father came to his bedroom, fearing they might smell it.

"Well, sorry if I get grumpy before I eat, and… uh-oh, time to get out of sight!" -Plagg exclaimed, when he hears someone knocking at the door.

Telling her to enter, Nathalie entered, carrying in her hands a tray with a bowl of steaming hot chicken soup. Smiling, she handed the tray to Adrien, who sat on his bed to eat it. He told her that she could go, but she told him his father had insisted that she stayed with him, to make sure he ate all of the chicken soup. Though he was not really hungry, the delicious smell of that chicken soup made him change his mind. Because it was so hot, he had to wait a little bit until it was cold enough for him to drink it. While he waited, Plagg, who was hiding beneath Adrien's bed, was becoming impatient.

" _Come on, hurry up and eat that, Adrien! I've got a delicious piece of Camembert cheese waiting for me!_ " -the black cat kwami thought to himself.

Finally, after he was finished with the chicken soup, Nathalie gave Adrien an aspirin, and told him that try and get some sleep. He pretended to go to sleep, and turned off the lamp on his bedside table, just as Nathalie closed the door behind her. Waiting for her to go down the stairs, Adrien stood there in silence for a couple of seconds, when Plagg emerged from under the bed.

"Come on, Adrien! I can see in the dark, but you can't. Turn that light on!" -Plagg told him.

Doing so, Adrien jumped off the bed, and quickly went to lock his door. Then, he got dressed in his usual clothes, while Plagg munched on a piece of stinky Camembert cheese. That particular one was a cheese that had been aging for nearly a year, and it was as stinky as one could imagine. But for Plagg, the more stinky the cheese was, the better it tasted.

"Delicious! Let me spell that… d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!" -Plagg said, as he finished eating his cheese. –"Are you sure you don't want a bite? Well, too bad, it's all gone now." -he laughed.

"Laugh all you want. The day that you make me eat that stinking cheese, it will be a really cold day in Hell." -Adrien told him, as he put on a jacket.

"I don't understand why you're putting that jacket on. Once you transform, you won't be needing it." -Plagg said. –"In fact, you could even take your pyjamas that it wouldn't make a difference."

"Best be prepared for the unexpected, Plagg." -Adrien told him. –"You never know what to expect on a night like this." -he told his kwami.

"You're speaking as if when you transform, after you do something with your powers, you run out of time and you turn back into your civilian form." -Plagg said. –"Please, that's something that only happens in comic books and television series." -he said. –"You've got nothing to worry about when it comes to that. No one's going to see you wearing your

"Actually, I was thinking that I might just want to watch a little bit of the parade as myself, and not as Chat Noir, you know?" -Adrien raised his eyebrow. –"And I can't do that, while wearing my pyjamas, can I?"

There was no way Plagg would be able to find a clever comeback to throw at him, Adrien thought. But, as luck would have it, the black cat kwami had a comeback response for is holder.

"It depends. You could always pretend you're sleepwalking." -Plagg shot at him. –"That way, people wouldn't even care what you're wearing."

Sighing, Adrien could not come up with a comeback, so instead, he just went ahead and transformed.

"Let's just go… Plagg, transforme moi!" -Adrien exclaimed, as Plagg was sucked into his ring, and he turned into Chat Noir.

* * *

As Adrien transformed into Char Noir and went to meet the rest of the gang, Mylene was also getting ready to go out. From all the members of the team, she was probably the only one with a real excuse to go out that night. Having her father perform for all of Paris was going to be not only one of the highlights of his career, but also, a night she would remember forever.

After taking a shower and putting on some warmer clothes, she made herself a sandwich to eat, and she was ready to go. Still, her mother, like all mothers, wanted to make sure she had dressed properly for such a cold night.

"Maybe you should put on another sweater, honey. It's awfully chill out there."

"Mom, I already have two sweaters and a jacket on me. If I put on another one, I'll suffocate." -Mylene told her, as she put on her gloves.

"Well, I guess you're right." -she told Mylene. –"Now, remember… I know you want to see dad, but, if you start to get cold, find a place where you can warm yourself. If you can't find, come back home. I don't want you to catch a cold. Not when we're getting nearer your exams."

"Don't worry, mom, I know." -Mylene told her. –"Now, can I go, please?" -she begged her.

"Yes, you can go." -she told her daughter. –"But remember, don't come home too late. You have school tomorrow."

"Don't worry, I'll come home early." -Mylene said, as she readied to leave.

As she went down the stairs, Pin, who had found shelter on one of the jacket's various inner pockets, asked her if she had brought him what she had promised… in this case, his snack.

"Of course, I did, Pin." -Mylene said, as she pulled out something out of pocket in her pants. In her hands, she was holding a bag of roasted peanuts. –"Did you really think I would forget this?"

"I don't know… when you start thinking about Ivan, you tend to forget about everything." -Pin told her. –"Do I need to remind you what happened the other day, when you went to buy your Halloween outfits?" -he asked her, reminding her of the little incident that happened at the store.

"Oh, you… I told you, I didn't forget you. I forgot my backpack, because I was talking to Ivan, and you happened to be in the backpack." -Mylene told him, as they reached the building's front door. Opening it, she felt a gust of cold wind hitting her on the face. –"And besides, I apologized to you. Haven't you ever forgot something?"

"Nope." -Pin told her.

"You really are impossible… it's a good thing, I like you very much." -Mylene told her kwami. –"Now, do you want these, or can I eat them all, huh?" -she asked him, as she opened the bag and ate two of them.

"Hey, no fair! Come on, those are mine!" -Pin exclaimed.

"Okay, okay, here, eat them." -Mylene as she placed the bag in front of the pocket where Pin was. Watching him eating the peanuts, she smiled, as the wind started to blow harder. –"We're in for a really windy, not to mention, chilly night."

"Why don't you just transform? That way you won't get cold."

"Not yet. First, finish your peanuts. We've got a little time before we have to meet the others." -Mylene told Pin, as she picked up the pace.

"I thought you said we had time." -Pin said, as he felt Mylene picking up the pace.

"And we do, but I don't want to freeze, so I'm picking up the pace. That way, I'll get warmer in no time." -Mylene chuckled, as she turned the corner, and looked at her watch. With the time they had, she could very well take the underground to get to the meeting point. That would save her energy, and give Pin time to eat every peanut in the bag.

* * *

Marinette had a hard time convincing Manon to stay at home. The little one wanted to go with and see the Halloween parade. Even when she told her that what she and the other heroes were going to do, Manon insisted on going with her, telling her that she would not get in the way.

"Manon, believe me, I would take you if I could, but I can't. Not this time." -Marinette told her. –"I can't perform with Alya and the others, and looking after you at the same time. You understand, don't you?"

"But… But what if I was part of the act?" -Manon suggested her, as Marinette chose what jacket to take with her. –"As your number one fan, I could be part of the act." -she said.

Marinette could see that Manon really wanted to go with her. But no matter what she told her, the blue-haired girl could not take her. She would just have to stay home and watch the whole thing from television. As she put on her jacket, she turned her eyes to Tikki, who was hovering near Manon, and gave her the "help me out here, Tikki" look, hoping the kwami could help her convince Manon that she could not come with them.

"Manon, if you come with us, you won't be able to watch everything." -Tikki told her. –"Plus, it will be cold and you won't be able to eat cookies while you're watching it." -she went on. –"I for one just wished Marinette didn't have to go, so I could stay home and eat cookies, while wrapped in a blanket."

And like that, Tikki managed to convince little Manon, who suddenly felt a craving for cookies, though it was almost dinner time. Asking Marinette if she could eat some cookies, the blue-haired girl told her that her mother would not give her any cookies, because it was almost dinnertime. But, if she promised she would stay home and not tell anyone of what Marinette was going to do, she would give her a cookie, before leaving.

As Manon waved her head, Marinette knew she had struck a deal with the little one. Grabbing her things, she told her to go to the living room and wait for her there. Doing as she was told, Manon went through the trapdoor, on her way to the living room, leaving Marinette alone with Tikki in her room.

"Once again, you saved me, Tikki." -Marinette told the little kwami.

"It was nothing, Marinette. Besides, if I wasn't around, you could have handled it." -Tikki chirped.

"I just wish I could come up with ways to convince her more easily." -Marinette said. –"I thought that after knowing my secret and the others, she would

"She does, Marinette. But you must remember, she's just a little kid." -Tikki told her. –"I bet that when you were a little girl, you also wanted things your way, no matter what."

"You'd be surprised to know just how wrong you are." -Marinette chuckled, as she put on her gloves. –"When I was little, I pretty much did everything I was told to do, and I didn't pout about it."

"Well, maybe you didn't, but Manon is a little different. You've got to find a way to make her change her mind, by making her believe that it's best to stay here, where it's warm, then to go out where it's cold and windy." -Tikki answered her.

"I didn't know you were so good at psychology." -Marinette smirked.

"And I'm not." -Tikki giggled. –"I just happen to have several thousand years of experience at handling problems." -she with a slightly cocky voice.

"Okay, okay, I get it." -Marinette laughed. –"So, tell me, are you ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." -Tikki smiled.

"You know, I'll be honest. I never thought that I would say this out loud in my life, but Chloé had an amazing idea for once." -Marinette admitted, as she grabbed her cell phone and her keys.

"Just proves that you can't tell what the future holds for you." -Tikki told her, as she jumped into one of the jacket pockets, snuggling herself inside.

"And here I thought that Wayzz and Master Fu were the only ones who liked to quote Confucius." -Marinette joked.

"By the way, what did you tell your mom to convince her to let you go out tonight?" -Tikki asked her. Marinette had told her to keep an eye on Manon, while she talked to her about it, so she did not know how she had convinced her.

"Oh, that? Simple… I told her that Adrien had asked me to go out on a date with him to watch the parade." -Marinette giggled evilly. –"When she heard the words Adrien and date, she didn't need to hear anything else."

"Your mom really wants you and Adrien to become boyfriend and girlfriend, doesn't she?" -Tikki chuckled.

"As much as I want to." -Marinette told her. –"And hopefully, one of these days we'll become that." -she said.

"I'm sure you will." -Tikki said.

"Well, let's go. I still have to go and grab a few cookies for you to eat on the way there… and give one to Manon." -Marinette said, as she went down the trapdoor.

* * *

At the Le Grand Paris, Mayor Bourgeois had just finished putting on his costume and was looking himself in the mirror. For that occasion, their advisors chose for him the outfit he was wearing. The outfit was of King Louis XIV. Looking himself in the mirror, he wondered if the outfit they had chosen for him had been a good idea. He knew he was going to be the parade's king, but showing up as Louis XIV was a little too much, especially on a parade that celebrated a day where ghosts, ghouls and spectres wondered the Earth.

" _This really isn't me…_ " -he thought to himself, as he looked to the other outfit he had ordered himself for a Halloween party that was to take place at City Hall the next day. The outfit was of Napoleon Bonaparte, a historical figure André Bourgeois liked more than the Sun King. –"Too bad I can't wear that one tonight. I would certainly enjoy myself a lot more." -he said, as he placed the crown on his head. –"The things a politician has to do for the people. Still, the fact that I'll have my dear Chloé by my side tonight, will make things go smoother.

Mayor Bourgeois had told his advisors that morning he would be taking his daughter with him on the parade. When they heard him say that, they told him it was an amazing idea and that that would boost his image, by showing just how much of a loving father he was. Obviously, he smiled when they told him that; but the truth was, he really did not care what others thought about that. All it mattered was for him to be with his daughter, whom he loved so much. Calling her, when she was still in school, he told her to pick her prettiest masquerade outfit she had and put it on, because she was going to accompany him that night. Over the phone, he heard her jumping out of joy.

But, when he arrived at her room and knocked on the door, she did not answer. Knocking again, there was once again no answer from Chloé. Worried, he called her name a couple of times, before using his master key to open the door. As the hotel's owner, André Bourgeois had one of the three master keys that allowed whoever to have them, to open every door in the hotel. It had been a while since he used his, and the last time he did, was also to open the door of his daughter's room. Entering, he called Chloé's name once again. Hearing no response, he wondered if she was in the room. Upon arriving at the hotel, they told him at the reception that Chloé had already arrived and was in her room.

"Chloé?! Chloé, honey, are you here?" -he called her out.

And then, he heard a coughing sound. Going to Chloé's bedroom, he found the blonde in her bed, under the covers. Approaching her, he saw that her face was as read as a bead and she had watery eyes.

"Honey? What's going on?" -Mayor Bourgeois asked her, as he sat next to her in bed.

"D-Dad… I guess… I caught a… cold." -Chloé told him, between coughs.

"Oh, honey. Have you taken something for it? Do you want me to call a doctor?" -he asked her.

"N-No… I already took an aspirin and some cough syrup with some lemon tea." -Chloé said, as she slowly raised her hand from beneath the covers and pointed at the bottle of cough syrup on her bedside table, next to her cell-phone. –"All I need is… to sleep, and I'll be… better in the morning." -she said as she sneezed.

"Oh, are you really sure you don't want me to call you a doctor? It will only take a minute." -Mayor Bourgeois said.

"N-No, dad… I'm okay… but I won't be able… to go to the parade…" -Chloé said, as she kept coughing.

"Oh, it's okay, don't worry about it." -he told his daughter. –"The only thing that matters is that you get better."

"You… look really handsome…" -Chloé complimented her dad on the outfit.

"You think so? I personally don't like it very much. I think it's a little too much for Halloween."

"It's… perfect."

"Are you really sure you don't want me to call a doctor? Or, if you want to, I can just call and tell them that I'll be staying with you tonight." -Mayor Bourgeois declared.

"N-No… you have to go. People are… expecting to see you there." -Chloé told him.

"Oh, honey, they're just going to see the floats and the artists. I think they'll hardly notice one boring mayor missing from the parade."

"But still… I want to see you t-there." -Chloé coughed. –"You know… on the television. Plus, I want to ask you something."

"Whatever you ask, I'll get you." -he smiled at her.

"I want you to ask Ladybug and Queen Bee for their autographs, for me." -Chloé coughed. –"Can you do that, please? -she asked him.

"Of course, sweetie. If I can, I'll ask them." -he smiled, as he leaned to kiss her, only for her to turn away.

"N-No… I don't want you to get sick… because of me." -Chloé said.

"Oh, alright, I understand." -Mayor Bourgeois smiled. –"Then, do you want me to turn off the light when I leave?2

"N-No… leave it like that." -Chloé smiled. –"Remember… don't forget the autographs."

"I won't, sweetie." -Mayor Bourgeois said, as he got up from the bed and readied himself to leave. –"Try to get some rest. When I arrive, I'll come to check on you."

As he left, Chloé stood still in her bed, hearing her dad's footsteps, as he closed the door behind him. The truth was, she was not sick. She was just pretending. When her dad called her telling that she was going with him to the parade, she had to come up with an idea to prevent him to take her with him. So, after thinking a little, she had the idea of pretending she had caught a flu. Some make-up, one onion, central heating on max, an open bottle of cough syrup and an empty mug, were all the ingredients she needed to simulate a cold. And now that she had managed to trick her dad, she could get out of bed.

"I was starting to think he would never leave." -Chloé said, as she kicked the covers and jumped right out of bed. –"I think I overdid this stunt of mine… for my dad to think that I'm really sick, I must look like I'm dying or something." -she said, as she went to the bathroom. –"Oh my God! I really look hideous! Look at my hair!"

"Don't you think you could have told your dad that you just felt like staying home tonight, so you could meet up with the others?" -Pollen asked her, as Chloé kept brushing her hair. –"And, shouldn't you wash your face first, instead of worrying about you hair?"

"My face can wait a little, Pollen, but my hair can't. I'm nothing without my beautiful silky hair." -Chloé said, as she kept brushing her hair. –"Although, I have to admit that I shouldn't have sniffed that onion more than a couple of times… I look like an undead girl. No wonder my dad thought I was really sick, look at these puffy eyes!" -she said, as she checked her eyes. –"And as for my dad, he would never agree to let me stay home, unless I was dead sick."

"Well, then you got your wish. Now, you can go and meet up with the others." Pollen told her. –"And what was that about you asking him for autograph of yours and Marinette?"

"I had to come up with an excuse to get near him, right? That way, I'll be able to spend a little time with him at the parade, when I show up and he asks me for an autograph… got to remember to ask Marinette to stick around me for when that happens." -Chloé said, as she splashed some water on her face. –"There, I think I'm a little like more old beautiful self now." -she said. –"Did you eat already?"

"Yup, I finished that jar you gave me." -Pollen said. –"It was very good this one."

"Glad you liked it. Then, I think we're good to go." -Chloé said, as she exited the bathroom.

"I'm ready when you are, Chloé." -Pollen said.

"Okay, then. Pollen, transforme moi!" -Chloé said

* * *

The Halloween Parade was going to start at the La Defense, and run all the way to the to the Place de la Concorde, passing by Avenue de la Grande Armeé, the Arc de Triomphe and Avenue de les Champs Elysées. People had started to gather behind the traffic separators that had been placed by the police all over the parade's itinerary, a little before sunset, and now, from both sides of the avenues that were receiving the it, dozens, if not hundreds of thousands of people, waited for the show to start. From 8 to 80, not even the cold prevented those people from being there. To keep the peace, and maintain the order, every available police officer had been dispatched to keep an eye on the parade, ensuring that nothing would go wrong. Balloon salesmen were making a fortune that night, as well as several food stands, which were serving everything from popcorns to hot dogs, not forgetting hamburgers, French fries with mayo, funnel cakes, just to name a few.

There was excitement in the air. People were thrilled, because they were going to see something absolutely epic. Some had come for the floats, others for the musical guests, and others for the Disney Villains that were going to appear on the parade. But, if there was one constant to almost everyone who was attending that event, was that they had come to see the Miraculous Team. The super team had saved Paris more times than they could think of in the short time they showed up, and little by little, they had grown on the hearts of the citizens of Paris, who had welcomed from the very first moment they showed to take care of Hawk Moth and his goons.

Up in the roof of one of the buildings of the Avenue de la Grande Armée, the Miraculous Team was trying to decide when they were going to appear, and how they were going to appear.

"We could just show up right from the start, and that's that." -Louve Grise suggested.

"No, we can't do that." -Queen Bee said. –"We're like the main attraction, and the main attraction never begins before the time is right." -she stated.

"Main attraction? Chloé, don't get me wrong, but we're not the main attraction here." -Ladybug said, calling Queen Bee by her real name. –"We're more like the special guest stars of this thing. And I don't think it will be polite, or even nice to steal the spotlight from the rest of the performers and guests." -she told her.

"She does have a point, you know? We're not here to steal anyone's spotlight." -Carapace said. –"We're here to enjoy ourselves and give these people a good time."

"Alright, alright, alright, I get it, I get it!" -Queen Bee said.

"Look, it doesn't really matter if we're the main attraction or the special guest stars in this. It's just like turtle boy there said. We're here to enjoy ourselves and give these people a good show, while rising their spirits." -Antelope declared.

"What matter is how we're going to show up and when." -Panda Rouge said.

"We can always show up from the crowd and join the party." -Forest Doe suggested.

"No, that won't do." -Flamingo said. –"People are expecting something big, something amazing to happen before we show up. If we do what you're suggesting, it will be sort of a disappointment to them all."

"Besides, people will think that we're just performers, and not the real deal." -Corbeau Noire said. –"We need something bg."

"She's right. We need something that screams "We're the Miraculous Team and we're here to party with you!", you know?" -Dragonfly said.

But what could they do that would have such effect on those who were watching? And then, there was light in Chat Noir's mind. He had come up with an amazing idea.

"I think I know what we're going to do when we show up." -Chat Noir smirked, as he looked at Rena Rouge. –"And we're going to need your powers, Alya."

"My powers? For what?" -Rena Rouge asked him.

"Gather around and I'll explain everything." -Chat Noir told them all.

But they were not the only ones making preparations. On top of the building where the UGC: George V cinema was located, near the Arc de Triomphe, Hawk Moth, Reptile and Madame Romani contemplated the mass of people that had gathered for the Halloween Parade. The fiendish villain could feel the emotions that were in people's hearts right then. Happiness, joy, but most of all, anticipation. Emotions which he felt were useless.

"Look at them all… like moths attracted by a flame… like sheep without a shepherd, these fools have gathered here to rejoice in celebration." -Hawk Moth said. –"Tonight, I will give them a reason as to why their ancestors trembled in the presence of evil." -he smirked evilly. –"It won't be long before all that happiness is replaced with fear… sweet, delicious and powerful fear."


	7. Halloween Parade

The parade started at 8 pm sharp, and when it did, it was accompanied by a fireworks show. There were 20 different floats. Ten of them had been custom build for that parade, while the other ten were on loan from Disneyland. The ones that had been custom build, all had a different style, though each one of them had a Halloween motif. The only ones that were different were the ones where Jagged Stone and Daft Punk were playing. While Jagged Stone's float was made to look like fire-breathing gargoyles were sprouting form it, Daft Punk's float looked more like a flying saucer covered in navy blue and white neon, reminiscent from their appearance in the film Tron: Legacy. As for the floats on loan from Disneyland, these were floats that only appeared on the park's parade during Halloween. Floats that belonged not to the heroes of the Disney movies, but to their villains. From Aladdin to the 101 Dalmatians, the Black Cauldron, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, the Little Mermaid, they were all there represented, and accompanying them were the Disney cast members. Among those who you could see at first glance were Maleficent, Oogie Boogie, Hades, Jafar, Cruella DeVil, Ursula, the Horned King, and others. As soon as the people saw them coming down the avenue, there were cheers and screams of delight in the air.

"Look! Look at that!"

"Whoa, they look like the real deal!"

"This is so beautiful!"

"They're totally freaky!"

"Rock on!"

"They're so well-coordinated!"

"It's really amazing!"

Those were just some of the many comments people made as the floats passed by. They were all magnificent, as if they had been plucked right out of a dream… a scary dream, but still a dream nonetheless. But, no matter how amazing or magnificent all those floats and everyone that was accompanying them, there was one float that stood above them all. The one float that was leading all the others… the float where Mayor Bourgeois was, having been crowned king of that Halloween parade. And marching in front of the float was the Mime's Extraordinary Adventures troupe, led by none other than Fred Haprèle, dressed up in his Mime outfit. Though Mylene's dad troupe was used to performing at a much calmer pace, they had adapted their routine to the parade's pace. Right then, they were silently dancing to the rhythm of Michael Jackson's Thriller song. All the while, Fred kept his eyes open, hoping to catch a glimpse of his little girl in the crowd.

" _She must be around here. Knowing Mylene like I do, I know she's going to do everything to get to the front of the crowd. I only have to focus, and hope to see her._ " -he thought to himself, as he kept dancing.

As the float moved onward, on top of the "Halloween Regal Float" as it had already been nicknamed by the press, Mayor Bourgeois kept waving at the people. He would be lying if he said that he was not having fun with all that. All those eyes on him, he felt like he was back in campaign to be re-elected. He loved to be the centre of attention. Still, deep inside, he was worried sick about Chloé. If it was not for that event, he would be back at the hotel, by her side, watching her, to see if she needed anything. But, once more, his duties as a politician prevented him from being by her side. It was times like this that he would give anything not to be a politician. If he was not a politician, he would certainly have not so many things to worry about, and that would give him time for what was really important, like his daughter.

" _I wonder how Chloé is felling right now?_ " -Mayor Bourgeois asked himself, as he kept smiling and waving at the crowd. –" _I hope she's feeling better. I know I should be by her side right now, but… well, no point in thinking about that right now. What matters is that I need to keep my promise and get her those two autographs she asked me._ " -he thought. –" _Which makes me wonder… where is the Miraculous Team? We're almost reaching the Arc de Triomphe and they still haven't showed themselves._ "

And Mayor Bourgeois was not the only one asking himself where the heroes were. Everyone attending the parade were asking the very same thing. Where were they? Had something happened to them? If not, were they still going to show up? And if so, when would they show up, and how were they going to do it?

"You know, I'm starting to think that they're not coming."

"Don't say that, they will show up."

"Really? If they were to show up, then why haven't they showed up yet?"

"They're probably just waiting for the right moment. You'll see."

Even the news channel that were covering the parade were asking that question. They had been given orders to keep an eye out for the team, and as soon as they showed up, to find a way to get an exclusive interview out of them. Though they had given interviews almost every time they defeated an akuma, the heroes still had not given the press a more carefree interview; and all the reporters that were deployed to cover up the parade, had been given direct orders to try and do everything to get that interview from at least one of the heroes.

"As you can see, the Halloween Parade is a success, with virtually people of every age attending it." -one of the reporters said. –"But so far, there hasn't been any sign of the Miraculous Team."

"News of the presence of Paris' superheroes in the parade came after a video with Ladybug and Chat Noir announcing their presence, as well as the presence of the rest of their team, was posted in the Miraculous Blog yesterday afternoon." -a reporter said.

"A lot of people came from the suburbs, just to get a glimpse of the famous, but until now, there hasn't been any sin of them." -a reporter said. –"With the parade nearly reaching the Arc de Triomphe, many wonder if the heroes will show up, or not."

On his float, Jagged Stone kept playing his greatest hits, entertaining the audience, while also hoping for the miraculous heroes to show up. As finished playing his latest hit, he grabbed the mic, and addressed the audience.

"Good evening, Paris!" -he exclaimed –"Is everyone here having a great time, or what?!"

The answer made itself known, as the crowd yelled it. And that was just what he liked about singing to a live audience. To him, there was nothing better than a live audience to get the adrenaline pumping inside of him, and to inspire him to play his music.

"Come on, I can't hear you! So, let me ask you again… is everyone here having a great time or what?!"

This time, the crowd literally roared the answer like a caged tiger.

"That's more I like it!" -he roared as well. He could feel the adrenaline pumping in his veins. –"You know, I usually don't do this during my concerts, but since tonight isn't just a concert, I decided to bring here my best friend, Fang, with me, so he could also feel the electricity in the air." -he said, as he sat next to his pet crocodile, who seemed to be enjoying himself, just as much as his owner. –"What do you think, Fang? Do you think there's enough electricity in the air?"

The crocodile roared as Jagged Stone placed the mic next to him. For a second there it seemed like the reptile was going to eat the microphone, but the animal's snout stopped mere inches from the object, as he roared once more, making the crowd cheer.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I was talking about, Fang." -Jagged Stone petted the crocodile in the head. Looking at him, instead of acting like the ferocious beast he seemed a couple of seconds ago, Fang was acting as if he was a puppy. –"There's electricity in the air, but it's not enough, buddy. I mean… tomorrow is Halloween, and here we are asking ourselves, if are we making enough noise to raise the dead?" -he kept talking with the crocodile. –"Are we? Because I don't think so, buddy. I don't think we're making enough noise the raise the dead. What do you all think?! Do you think we can make even more noise?!"

"Yeah!" -the crowd exclaimed.

"Come on, people! Let me hear you, loud and clear! How are we going to raise the dead, if you guys aren't even trying?!" -Jagged Stone asked the crowd. –"Come on, give me some real noise!" -he incited the crowd with his speech. –"Come on, you can do it!"

And just like that, the crowd yelled from the top of their lings, after which Jagged Stone joined it, with Fang also roaring. Grabbing his guitar, he played a few chords, to tune it, and then turned his attention to the crowd.

"Let's make some noise, people! Let's make enough noise to raise up the dead!" -Jagged Stone exclaimed, as he started to play one more of his songs.

Being one of the world's greatest rock stars, there were very few people who did not know at least one of his songs. And as soon as he began to sing "Rock Me Tender", one of his most famous ballads, the crowd started to chant it.

And not just the crowd. A certain scarlet and black heroine, who was getting ready to make her big entrance, saw herself humming to the rhythm of that very same song, while leaning against the rooftop's ledge. It was not until Chat Noir called her name, that she snapped back to reality.

"Marinette? Are you hearing me?"

"Uh, what?!" -Ladybug said. –"Oh, sorry… I guess my mind slipped once again." -she giggled.

"Hey, it's okay, I also love that song." -Chat Noir told her.

"Really?! Never took you for a Jagged Stone fan… I mean, I've heard you hearing it with Nino, once or twice, but…" -Ladybug hesitated.

"Then, what kind of music you think I was a fan of, milady?" -Chat asked her.

"Oh, well… I… I…" -Ladybug stuttered for a brief moment. –"… you're actually going to laugh about this, but… I always thought that you were a big fan of…"

"Of what?" -Chat chuckled.

"Classical music." -Ladybug answered, a little uneased. –"I know, I know, it's kind of stupid really, but… you see, the fact that you're the son of Gabriel Agreste, who has told in numerous interviews that he's a big fan of that kind of music, that he might have rubbed it off on you." -she smiled awkwardly. Right then, she felt like just plain old Marinette.

"Well, I have to admit that I do enjoy hearing Mozart and Verdi from time to time, but I'm not like my dad. He's the one who loves to hear Beethoven with the sound all the way up." -Chat Noir laughed, making Ladybug also laugh. –"Personally, I'm more of a Rock, Pop and Dance guy."

Watching that from a couple of metres, Rena Rouge could not help but to smile, as she saw one more Adrinette moment, as she liked to call the moments when her two friends got embarrassed with one another, showing that deep down, they were in love with one another, but had not decided to tell one another what they really felt. She told herself it was almost a crime to end the moment they were having right then, but it was all for a good cause. Approaching them, she said.

"Hey, lovebirds, are you going to stay there, or are you going to join the rest of us?" -Rena Rouge asked them.

"Oh, sorry, Alya, we're coming." -Chat Noir said.

"Y-Yes… sorry." -Ladybug said, as Chat went ahead, and she joined Rena. –"Lovebirds? Really, Alya?" -she hushed at her friend. –"Couldn't you make my crush on Adrien even more obvious than it already is?!"

"Girl, when are you going to overcome that shyness of yours and just tell him what you really feel for him?" -Rena Rouge asked her. –"It's clear as daylight that you like him, and he likes you."

"You don't know if the last part is true." -Ladybug told her.

"Well, you're never going to find out, if you don't tell him about your feelings." -Rena Rouge told her friend. -"And I thought you were supposed to be brave when you're wearing that outfit and the mask." -she joked.

"And I am… but, with or without a mask, when I'm alone with him, I act like a dweeb."

"Maybe, but you're a cute dweeb." -Rena Rouge chuckled, which earned her an eye-roll from Ladybug. –"Come on, don't do that. You know I'm right."

Joining the others, they were getting ready for their big appearance. Just like some of them had emphasized, they needed to do something to announce their arrival. And thanks to Chat's ingenuity, with a couple of suggestions from Carapace, Forest Doe and Panda Rouge, as well as Rena Rouge's illusionary powers, they were going to give the people exactly that. They were a little bit nervous, even more so than when they were fighting one of Hawk Moth's akumas. One could say they just did not want to screw things up.

"Okay, shall we review this one more time, so everyone knows how this is going to go?" -Rena Rouge asked them all, trying to make everyone forget about their nerves.

"Might as well." -Forest Doe said. –"I hate having butterflies in my stomach before performances." -she said, as she rubbed her stomach.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. You'll see." -Flamingo smiled at her. She did not tell her anything, but she too was suffering from the very same thing. –"I hope so." -she thought to herself.

"Alright, then, here's how it's going to work." -Rena Rouge told them. –"As soon as the first float reaches the Arc, I'll create a dragon that is going to show up out of nowhere, going under the Arc and start spitting flames. Then, those of us who can fly will show up, while the others slide down the dragon's back, and upon reaching its head, will use their powers to destroy it." -she went on with the explanation. –"Just as you are about to hit the dragon, I'll make it explode and we'll land in front of the float."

"You forgot the heroic poses, Alya!" –Queen Bee reminded her.

"Oh, yes, right, I forgot about that." -Rena Rouge admitted. –"Just like Chloé reminded us, when we land, be sure to strike an heroic pose for the audience. We want them to gasp in awe." -she stated. –"Any questions?"

"Yes, are we going to do this, or are we going to spend the rest of the night yammering about it?!" -Antelope asked out loud.

"Let's do it!" -Carapace exclaimed, after which all the others joined the cheering.

The plan was simple really, but they still had second thoughts about it. Still, none of them dared to say that, so they would not jinx it. Watching the parade from the rooftop, they waited for the right time to jump into action.

As the first float approached the arc, they felt it was time to join the party. Signalling Rena Rouge to get the show on the road, Queen Bee, Dragonfly, Flamingo and Corbeau Noire propelled themselves up into the air, describing loop after loop in the night sky. The whole thing felt like an aerial dance. Rena Rouge got up on the ledge and jumped from it, as she used her flute-staff to create the fire-breathing dragon. Playing the flute, the dragon began to take form around her, as she continued to fall into the ground. The dragon she came up with was a long black, purple and green Chinese dragon. Its fangs and claws were as sharp as one could imagine, and the creature had a menacing look. To give it its distinct look, she based herself on Maleficent's dragon form. Swirling in the air, the dragon roared, scaring everyone, whose attention was focused on the parade, and did not see it coming. Screams of terror were heard, as inside the dragon, the fox heroine concluded that she might have exaggerated, and made the dragon too realistic and too scary.

" _Guess I must have made this bad boy too scary for the occasion._ " -Rena Rouge thought to herself. –" _Everybody's starting to panic. I better place it under the arc, so the others don't take too long to show up. The last thing we need is people thinking that there's another akuma on the loose._ " -she decided.

She had just finished that thought, when Queen Bee and Dragonfly soared close to dragon's face. Knowing that she was watching them through the eyes of the dragon, they both gave her the signal that meant they were all ready. Smirking, she once again used her flute-staff and commanded the dragon to go under the Arc de Triomphe.

The people watching it, calmed themselves down, as soon as they saw the flying members of the Miraculous Team circling the dragon's head. Soon after, the rest of the team came down the dragon's back. The reporters and news crews that had been covering the parade, quickly turned their attention to the heroes and the dragon that had seemingly appeared at the same time as them.

"And looks like Ladybug and the rest of the Miraculous Team have decided to show up at last, ladies and gentlemen!" -one of the reporters said, as she signalled her cameraman to point the camera to her left, so he could

Just like the eyes of the reporters, the eyes of everyone nearby had turned to the Arc de Triomphe where the Miraculous Team was seemingly fighting the mythological creature that had showed up out of nowhere, and was now under the arc. The parade came to a halt, as the heroes kept fighting the dragon. Noticing they had caught everyone's attention, Ladybug felt it was time for the dragon to disappear and them to join the party. Signalling the others, they all attacked the dragon from all sides, and as soon as Rena saw that coming, she played her flute-staff once more, and the dragon roared, breathing fire from its mouth.

"This is it guys!" -Ladybug exclaimed. –"Let's slay a dragon!"

With those words, the heroes attacked the dragon once again, this time seemingly hurting it. And then, the creature blew up like a flaming ball of fire, which cause the crowd to applaud. The applauses got even louder, when the smoke disappeared, revealing the whole team in heroic poses.

"Guess that did the trick." -Arachnid whispered to Antelope.

"Are you kidding? Of course, it did." -Antelope whispered back at him, as he watched the crowd coming towards them, as well as the press. –"I don't know about you guys, but I think it would be best if we relocated to place where we won't get squashed by the crowd!"

"He's got a point!" -Dragonfly exclaimed. –"Let's fly to the front of the float where the Mayor is."

"But not all of us can fly, remember?" -Grizzly Bear point it that.

"Leave that to me!" -Panda Rouge said, as he reverted his spear to its most singular form, a drawing pen. –"One bridge over to the front of the float where Mayor Bourgeois is, coming right up!"

With those words, Panda Rouge started to draw at almost the speed of sound. In a matter of seconds, he had designed a bridge to take them where they wanted to go. Those who could fly wasted no time, in flew over the crowd, landing right in front of the float, where The Mime Experience crew had stopped to watch their entrance. A few seconds later, the rest of the team used the bridge Panda Rouge had drawn for them, joining them, as the applauses and cheers from the crowd kept being heard. Upon seeing her dad, Forest Doe just wanted to go to him and give him a big hug, while complementing on how good he looked with his mime suit. But, she refrained herself, saying that right then she was not Mylene Haprèle, the sweet and kind daughter of Fred Haprèle, but Forest Doe, a Miraculous heroine, sworn to protect the city of Paris and its people, from any threat Hawk Moth and his minions.

Facing the float in front of them, as well as the crowd, the heroes smiled and waved them, happy to be there. It did not take long for a couple of

"If you just joined us, we're live at the Halloween Parade, where Ladybug and the rest of the Miraculous Team have showed up to live up the party." -the reporter said, as she approached the heroes. –"Excuse me, Ladybug, anyone, would you mind saying something to our viewers at home?"

Hearing the reporter, Ladybug passed between Carapace and Antelope to reach her. Smiling to her, she said she would be happy to do it.

"Of course." -Ladybug said, as she smiled to the camera. –"Good evening, Paris! Ladybug here. Like I promised, here we are, the whole team, and we are here to live thing up a little." -she kept smiling. –"But I'm not the only one here who has something to say. Guys, you say something to the people at home."

Following their leader's example, the rest of the team also sent messages to everyone at home. The first one to talk to the camera and send a message was none other than Queen Bee.

"Hey, there! Queen Bee here! I hope you're enjoying what you've seen so far, because it's about to get even better, now that we arrived." -Queen Bee said, as she waved to the camera.

"Hello there! Flamingo and Corbeau Noire here, saying that it's an honour to be here tonight." -Flamingo said, as she and the raven heroine smiled to the camera.

"This is going to be pawsome, I can tell you that!" -Chat Noir grinned for the camera.

"If you're nearby, don't just stay at home and come on over! The party… the real party is just about to start!" -Antelope exclaimed, as if he was in a football game.

"Come along and help us brighten this night even more." -Rena Rouge said. –"We'd be happy to see you here, with us."

The messages were all different, but every one of them showed just how thrilled the heroes were to be there, and how much they felt that the more people were there to join in the action, the merrier. But the reporter in question wanted more. She wanted an exclusive interview with at least one of them, and she was not afraid to ask them if she could get one.

"Is there a chance any of you could give us an exclusive interview? There are so many questions the viewers at home have about you all. Where you come from, what do you do in your spare time?" -she asked them.

"I am sure we can find a little bit to do that, until the end of the parade." -Chat Noir said. –"But right now, you'll have to excuse us for a bit. We're going to do what we came here to do."

"Stop acting like you're the leader around here, kitty cat. I give the orders around here, remember?" -Ladybug told him in a playful tone. With everyone at home watching them, she was sure that in the morning, or even earlier, there would be posts and memes of her saying those words. Still, she tried not to think about it. –"Alright, everyone, spread out! Let's give these people a night to remember!" -she exclaimed.

And with that, every last one of the heroes spread out over the parade, quickly choosing what to do. Some hoped on a float, others decided to soar over it, while waving at the crowd, and others decided to mingle with the crowd, signing autographs and taking selfies with everyone who asked them.

Rena Rouge took her time to do just that. Approaching the crowd on the left side, she began to create simple illusions that delighted both grown-ups and children. From flying cats to dancing elephants, she did it all. It was both fun and it gave her an excuse to create simpler illusions.

Up in the air, Dragonfly and Corbeau Noire were both using their flying abilities to describe beautiful flying tricks. Queen Bee joined them briefly, just before flying over the float where her dad was. Landing in front of him, she could not help but to giggle, when she unintentionally scared him.

"Evening, mister Mayor. Sorry if I scared you." -Queen Bee said. It was not the first time she talked to her dad while in her heroine outfit, but it still felt strange to her to do so, without him realizing he was actually talking to her, and not some complete stranger. –"I really love your outfit. Very regal."

"Oh, good evening, miss." -Mayor Bourgeois told her. –"You really think so?"

"I do, and believe me, when it comes to fashion, I'm the best." -Queen Bee giggled. –"So, are you enjoying yourself? This might just be me, but, there's something in your face that tells me that there's something wrong. Am I right, or am I just imagining things."

"Well… the truth is, my daughter is ill." -Mayor Bourgeois said.

"Oh, I hope it's nothing serious." -Queen Bee declared.

"Oh, no, she said she just needed to get some rest. Probably just a mild case of the flu." -Mayor Bourgeois told her. –"She wanted to be here, but… well, it's just things that happen. But she asked me one thing. She asked me to try and get your autograph, as wel as Ladybug's. I think she's a big fan of the two of you."

"Really?! It would be my honour." -Queen Bee said. –"Do you have something I can write in?" -she asked him.

In front of the float, Doe had joined in the Mime Experience crew. Knowing how her father worked with the rest of the crew, she knew just what to do to perform with them. Having watched him practice so many times in the living room, she knew the moves and the cues by heart. Still, to make sure she did not give away her real identity, she pretended not to know a couple of the moves, to not rise suspicions. Grabbing her bow, she pretended to shot arrows from it, which the whole crew pretended to catch. She performed a couple of more tricks, before her dad stepped in front of her, and broke out of character for a second to tell her that she was very talented.

"You are very talented." -Fred told her.

"T-Thank you." -Forest Doe bushed lightly. A part of her wanted her dad to recognize her, while the other wanted the opposite.

"Have you ever performed before?" -Fred asked the doe heroine.

"Uh… no, I can't say that I have." -Forest Doe blushed lightly.

"Well, either way, I just wanted to tell you that you have great moves, and well, if you want to join us…" -Fred asked her.

"Y-Yes! I mean, yes, I would be honoured." -Forest Doe waved her head. Her night had just gotten better in every possible way.

All the while, Carapace had been looking for the float where Daft Punk were. It did not take him long, as the only thing he had to do was find the only float that looked like a neon flying-saucer, where you could hear the song "One More Time" being played. Reaching near it, he jumped into the float, catching the attention of the two musicians.

"You guys mind if I stick around here for a bit?" -he asked both members of Daft Punk, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, who looked at one another for a second, and then gave the turtle hero a thumb's up. -"Thanks, guys. Big fan of your work, by the way!" -Carapace said, as he joined them, behind the musical console. Immediately, he felt right at home. Being an amateur DJ himself, he felt it was an honour just to be by those guys side. So, he decided to do something cool to thank them, as well as highlighting the lightshow they were putting on. –"You know, this lightshow is really awesome, but I think I can make it even better. Hold on."

Swinging his tonfas in the air, he quickly created several energy shields all over the place, which when placed in the right position, reflected and redirected the lights, to create an entirely new light effects. This earned him both the applause from the crowd, as well as from Daft Punk, who applauded him.

" _It just can't get any better than this, tonight._ " -Carapace thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Antelope was doing something he never thought would be possible for him to do, meet and greet several Disney villains, while throwing one-liners at him, at super speed. Starting on one end, he greeted every Disney cast member that was playing the villains, in less than 30 seconds.

"Hey there, Captain Hook! Big fan… better watch out, or you're going to poke someone's eye with that thing!" -Antelope laughed, as he shook hands with the fierce, yet bumbling pirate, before splitting, on his way to meet Hades, Lord of the Dead. –"Hades, nice to meet you. Allow me to introduce myself, Antelope fastest guy on the face of the Earth, how ya doin?" -he told Hades, mimicking the villain's accent, before skedaddling to the next villain. –"Cruella… dig the haircut, but the fur is so out of fashion!"

He did that with every cast member, before starting to run up and down the parade, shaking hands with the crowd, while also signing autographs.

Not far from where Antelope was, Flamingo was also making use of her powers to live up things. Multiplying herself, she made twenty copies of herself, whom under her command began to dance to the rhythm of the music that was playing. Her gracefulness and poise were almost hypnotizing to those who were watching. She herself could not help but to think that all the ballet lessons she had been taking were paying off.

Ladybug herself, accompanied by Chat Noir took centre stage, as they performed several combined stunts on top of the Disney float that was based on Fantasia.

"They're loving us." -Chat Noir told her, as he held her up in the air with only one hand.

"Well, we're putting on a good show." -Ladybug smiled. –"Though, you are showing-off a little bit."

"Milady, I'm not showing-off. I'm just performing feats of greatness, to prove to you that I'm the best there is." -Chat said, as he placed her on the ground, after which they both somersaulted backwards at the same time.

"Nice comeback." -Ladybug replied. –"Come on, let's wrap this up, because I still need to go and give Mayor Bourgeois an autograph." -she said, remembering what Chloé had asked her when she first arrived.

"Okay, then let's do this." -Chat declared, as he extended his staff.

* * *

Just like people had predicted, once the Miraculous Team showed up, what was already an amazing party, became legendary. That was a party like none other. The last time Paris celebrated an occasion like that was during the last European Championship, when the city was flooded with adepts from 24 different countries, who had come to support their respective teams.

But that was about to change, and nobody could predict what was going to happen, as the parade passed by the Rond-Point des Champs-Elysees, where the famous Franklin D. Roosevelt underground station was located. Named Franklin D. Roosevelt station in 1946 when the nearby Avenue Victor-Emmanuel III was renamed Franklin D. Roosevelt Avenue, in honour of the American president who had been an ally of France during World War II, as opposed to Victor Emmanuel III, the king of Italy who, although allied with France during the First World War, had fought against France as king of Fascist Italy during the Second World War, this was one of the most famous underground stations in Paris. The first float had just arrived at the roundabout, when in the middle of the street, some sort of black smoke formed out of thin air in a matter of seconds, after which a glowing purple orb appeared, quickly growing in size. In a matter of seconds, the orb turned into a massive black and purple glowing sphere, with a few traces of silver in it. Those who were watching it happening from the first row, asked themselves what was going on. But before they could think too hard about it, the sphere exploded, covering the roundabout in a cloud of purplish smoke. When the smoke dissipated, everyone saw that where the sphere had been a few seconds before, was now a tall man, wearing a purple suit and a silver mask around his head and holding a cane in his hands. By his side was a man dressed up in leather with a green scaly face and a woman with orange hair and wearing a gypsy dress.

Not realizing that what they had seen was not part of the show, the crowd erupted in applauses. Seeing that, Hawk Moth smirked evilly.


	8. Parade Insanity

The parade had come to a halt, because the driver of the Halloween Regal Float did not know what was going on, so he decided to stop, and wait to see what went down. Not realising that the three individuals were really Hawk Moth and his faithful lieutenants Reptile and Madame Romani, the people in the crowd applauded, thinking that that was all part of the show. Smirking evilly, Hawk Moth thought to himself on how foolish those people were being right then.

" _Fools… they don't even realise that they're in danger. They believe that we are just part of the action._ " -Hawk Moth thought to himself. –" _Aren't they in for a surprise._ " -he thought to himself, as he kept smirking evilly.

The applauses went on, with people believing that was part of the show. But there was one person who knew that was not part of the show, Forest Doe. Staring at the villains, she at once understood that Hawk Moth had decided to show his ugly face in public, and if he did that, it was because he was looking to cause trouble. A voice in the back of head told her to grab her bow and point it at the villain, but she did not do it. She did not let her instinct get the better of her. She knew that if she fired an arrow against one of the villains, the crowd could understand that they were the real deal, and panic would ensue.

" _What do I do?! I've got to warn the others somehow._ " -Forest Doe asked herself, as she stared at the villains in front of her. –" _But, how do I that, without Hawk Moth realizing it? I don't know if he saw me or not._ " -she thought to herself. Right then, she was practically hidden in the middle of her dad's crew of actors, and though her outfit stood out from the ones the others were wearing, one would have to pay attention to see her right then.

Fred Haprèle, who also thought that was part of the show, noticed just how white Doe had become. He had just known her for about half an hour, but something in him told him that there was something wrong with her.

"What's going on?" -Fred asked her in a whisper.

Hearing her dad asking her that, Doe did not know what to answer. She froze there, not knowing what to tell him. She did not want to alarm him or the others, by saying that that was really Hawk Moth and that things were probably going to get chaotic in a matter of minutes, but if she did not warn them, they would be first ones to be hurt.

"You… need to get out of here…" -Forest Doe warned him, in a whisper.

"W-What?" -he asked her.

"Don't panic, but this is not part of the show… that's the real Hawk Moth and his goons right there." -Forest Doe declared.

"A-Are you sure?" -Fred asked her, shocked to hear what she told him.

"Yes, that's him there." -she waved her head.

The others around them heard her say that, but did not react. If she was right, then the last thing they wanted was to start running like crazies.

"Go to the back of the float, but do it like you're making some sort of trick or routine. That way, he'll probably won't get that you know that it's him." -Forest Doe told them

"What about you?" -they asked her.

"I'm going to try and call the others to help me out, while distracting that psycho." -she answered.

"Are you sure you don't want us to stay? I mean, we can't fight, but maybe…" -Fred asked her. Though the thought of having her dad by her side was comforting, she would never forgive herself if he got hurt, so, no matter what, he had to get out of there.

"N-No. I can handle this." -Doe told him. On the outside she looked cool and calm, but on the inside, she was trembling in fear, fearing for both her dad's safety, as well as the others. –"Now, go… and remember, no sudden movements."

Up on the top of the float, Mayor Bourgeois was asking himself what was going on. There was nothing like that sphere in the parade's plans, or someone posing as Hawk Moth and his minions for that matter.

" _This wasn't in the plans. Could have they come up with this idea at the last minute, when the heroes announced they were coming, and then forgot to tell me?_ " -Mayor Bourgeois asked himself, as he looked at the three figured

At the same time, the Mime Experience crew began to slip behind the float, following Forest Doe's instructions. As soon as she saw that her dad and the others were not in the line of fire anymore, she held her bow, pointing it at Hawk Moth, who had already noticed her. Slowly, but steadily she walked towards the villains, observing the maniac expressions in the faces of both Reptile and Madame Romani.

"Well, well, well… what do we have here?" -Hawk Moth asked in a taunting tone. –"And here I thought that I would have Ladybug leading this parade, and instead, I get a little doe." -he laughed evilly, after which both Reptile and Madame Romani also did.

Hearing the villain say that, Forest Doe gulped. She was not used being the first one to take on the villains. But, that did not prevent her from standing her ground, showing Hawk Moth and his lieutenants that she was not afraid of them.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but hey, you're lucky. You got the chance to face the best shooter in the team." -Forest Doe said, trying not to show just how nervous she was.

"You intend to face us alone, little doe?" -Reptile asked her.

"Not I don't… but if I had to, I wouldn't be afraid of the likes of you three, you psychos." -she insulted them, as she kept pointing her arrow at them.

That statement made Hawk Moth laugh, though when he laughed, it was not his usual evil laughter. Instead, it was a distinctive laughter, a mix between the ludicrous and the creep; something that you would hear from a comic book villain. He laughed for a good 10 seconds, before stopping abruptly and looking at Forest Doe with a serious look in his face.

"Don't make me laugh, little girl." -the villain told her with a menacing voice. –"I can smell the fear in your heart, and I can hear it in each heartbeat of yours. I could even dance to its beat right now." -he grinned at it.

"Oh yeah?! Then let's see if you like to smell and dance this, you bloody psychopath!" -she exclaimed.

With those words, she raised her bow upwards and shot the arrow, which when reaching enough altitude, it blew up like a firework, spelling the word "SOS" in the night sky, signalling the others for help. Seeing the SOS sign in the air, the whole team realized there was something on. Those who were up in the air like Queen Bee, Dragonfly and Corbeau Noire, immediately understood that Hawk Moth had showed up. But the others that were on the floor, only found out when they arrived near Forest Doe, who had since fired a couple of more arrows at the villains, to prove to them that she would not be an easy target. The crowd, who at first thought that was all just part of the show, began to wonder if it was really that, or if something else was going on. Still, they did not move from where they were.

"So, the whole team is here." -Hawk Moth smirked. –"How lovely… at least, you'll save me the trouble of having to hunt you down, one by one." -he said with the creepiest voice tone anyone had ever heard.

"You've got a lot of nerve to show your ugly mug around here, Hawk Moth." -Chat Noir told the villain.

"You watch your filthy mouth, brat!" -Reptile warned him. –"Say that again, and I'll make sure you regret it!" -he said. If it was up to him, no one would insult his master and get away with it.

"That goes for you and that witch too, lizard man!" -Dragonfly exclaimed.

"I'm only going to say this once… Get out of here and leave these people alone, or else…" -Ladybug told him.

"Or else what, little girl?"

"Or else, we're going to use your face as a punching bag!" -Grizzly Bear shot at him. –"And the same thing goes for you, you freaks!" -he shot at Reptile and Madame Romani, earning a menacing look from the two of them.

"You heard him. Leave now, or face the consequences!" -Ladybug shot at Hawk Moth. She did not want to start a battle with so many people around, but if the villain did not give them another choice, she and the others were ready to take him on.

Upon hearing that, Hawk Moth once again laughed, but this time, his laugh was not the same as before. This time, his laugh was more of a mocking laugh, though it still retained the previous' creepiness.

"So, you think you can take me on, do you?" -Hawk Moth asked them.

"Just answer the question, are you going to leave, or are we going to rumble?!" -Carapace said, as he readied himself to fight.

The turtle hero had just finished that sentence, when Hawk Moth lifted his cane and then bashed the tip of it against the ground, creating an impact tremor that made the earth shake violently, accompanied by a wave of purple light that hit the heroes, making them fall, as well as everyone around. Hawk Moth had used that trick in the past, but this time the attack felt way more powerful than before. The crowds seeing that, realized they were in the presence of the real Hawk Moth, and decided to run. A few stayed behind to see the outcome of the fight, but even they got behind a tree, a streetlamp or a garbage can. The Mayor, when finding out that it was really Hawk Moth in front of him, tried to run as well, but ended up going against one of the float's props, that fell on him. He was not hurt, but the weight of the prop made it impossible for him to escape without help. He just wanted to scream for help, but fearing what could happen if he did call for help, he remained silent. As the heroes got back on their feet, they saw Hawk Moth smiling evilly at them.

"Does that answer your question?" -the villain smirked.

"You're going to regret doing that, just as much as you're going to regret crawling out of the hole you were hiding in, Hawk Moth!" -Ladybug told him, as she helped Rena Rouge get back on her feet.

"Wrong… it will be you who who's going to regret it!" -Hawk Moth told her. –"It's time we end this, once and for all. You kids have been a thorn in my side for far too long."

Sick and tired of all that conversation, Grizzly Bear decided it was time to stop using their words, and use their fists instead.

"Enough chit-chat! Get ready to be pulverized, ugly!" -he snapped at Hawk Moth, who grinned back at him.

Being who he was, Hawk Moth never played fair and square. He knew he could take them out on his own, but he was the kind of person who enjoyed games, and who liked to play with his food, before eating it. Swinging his cane up in the air, he made appear a swarm of Akuma butterflies, who spread out as fast lightning, coming in their direction.

"Watch out!" -Carapace exclaimed, as he placed himself in front of her, to protect her from them, though deep inside, he knew that because of their powers, those butterflies could not hurt them.

The swarm went past them and headed in the opposite direction. Knowing what that swarm could do, Ladybug was forced to divide the team into separate groups, to deal with both Hawk Moth and his minions, as well as his Akuma butterflies.

"Let's split up, people! Dragonfly, Queen Bee, Flamingo and Corbeau Noire, you're on butterfly catching duty! Carapace, Arachnid, Rena, Panda and Doe, try to get everybody out of here! Those you can't, for one reason or another, find a way to protect them! Antelope and Grizzly, you take care of Reptile and Madame Romani!"

"And what about you and Chat?!" -Antelope asked her.

"We've got some unfinished businesses with the big cheese of over there!" -Ladybug said, referring to Hawk Moth.

"Right!" -they said in chorus, as they spread out, hoping to do their best, with only Ladybug, Chat Noir, Grizzly and Antelope staying behind to take care of the villains.

Watching the heroes departing to try and stop what he considered inevitable, and seeing the four that stayed behind to take him on, as well as his lieutenants.

"So, you still think you can actually stop me, do you?" -Hawk Moth mocked Ladybug and the other three. –"Do I have to remind you that I, Hawk Moth, have enslaved whole countries and nations over the millenniums, and that you, are nothing but a bunch of kids dealing with things that you don't even understand?!"

"And do I have to remind you to shut up?! Jeez, no wonder you managed to conquer entire nations and countries in the past. You must have made them all fall asleep with your cheesy monologues!" -Antelope shot at him.

"If we're just a bunch of kids, then why do we keep beating the crud out of those two idiots you're always hanging with, huh?!" -Chat joked.

"Idiots?! You're going to regret saying that, kid!" -Reptile snarled at the feline hero. –"Master, permission to rip these kids to shreds?!" -he asked his master, as he grew impatient.

"Go ahead. Bring me their miraculouses, and their hearts." -Hawk Moth ordered him, as he turned to Madame Romani, to say the same thing. –"The same thing goes for you. Eliminate them."

"Yes, master Hawk Moth." -Madame Romani nodded with her head. –"This time, I won't fail you."

Not wasting another second, the two villains launched themselves at the heroes. Signalling both Antelope and Grizzly Bear to focus on them, and leave Hawk Moth to them, ladybug and Chat Noir charged against Hawk Moth who was waiting for them. The villain used his cane like a sword to deflect all the attacks that the two heroes threw at them. It did not take them long to understand that that was not going to be a battle that would be solved with a couple of punches and kicks. The duo did not understand why, but Hawk Moth looked stronger, and not only that; he also looked faster and more agile than the last time they fought. It was like they were fighting a whole new enemy, from whom they knew nothing about, when it came to his powers.

"You have grown a little stronger since our last encounter, I'll give you that." -Hawk Moth said as he disarmed Chat from his staff, sending it flying up in the air, before kicking him in the chest. –"But, you're no match for me… especially in this night!" -he said, as he grabbed Ladybug's yo-yo and pulled it towards him, making her fall on her face. –"Before this hour ends, you and your friends will be dead, and I will

"Then, you'll have to go through us." -Ladybug said, as she got back on her feet, and charged against him, attempting to buy Chat enough time to retrieve his staff.

"Gladly." -Hawk Moth said, as he attacked her with his cane.

* * *

While Ladybug and the others stood up against Hawk Moth and his lieutenants, the rest of the group tried their best to destroy as many Akuma butterflies as they could, while also protecting the people on the streets. When it was found out that Hawk Moth had suddenly appeared, panic ensued all over the place. People tried to run away, as the dastardly Akuma butterflies came down on them. The miraculous heroes used their powers and abilities to destroy them, but some of them managed to evade them and landed on several innocent bystanders that turned into creatures with black and purple bodies, with spikes over their shoulders, elbows, knees and wrists, and black motorcycle helmets with a purple moth on the visor; just like it happened when Hawk Moth first showed up and used Gargantua to conquer the city.

Hoping to destroy as many Akuma butterflies as she could in one strike, Queen Bee flew up and used her wind powers to create a twister to suck them up like a vacuum cleaner, destroying them. She had used that trick one against Gargantua, but the results were not the ones she had expected. Still, she now had a better control over her powers and knew that if she made the twister too powerful, she would lose control of it, and she did not want that.

" _Okay, let's see if I don't destroy anything, like it happened next time… got to focus._ " -Queen Bee thought to herself, as the akuma Butterflies were pulverized inside the twister.

But, some got away by flying lower than the others were flying. To prevent those butterflies that Queen Bee could not get, from akumatizing people, Dragonfly grabbed Louve Grise by the arms, pulling her into the air and telling her to use her ice breath on those things. Doing it, she managed to instant freeze a bunch of them, which fell to ground, breaking into pieces.

"Now that's what I call having minty breath!" -Dragonfly joked.

"Thanks… Fireball at your left!" -Louve Grise warned her, as she tried to freeze it with her ice breath.

Unfortunately, the flaming sphere came out of nowhere and it was too large to be instantly frozen like the Akuma butterflies. Swinging left, Dragonfly managed to get her and Louve out of the way of the fireball. Looking left and right, she tried to understand from where it had come from, when another fireball appeared in front of her. This time, she forced to drop Louve Grise in order to save her and herself at the same time. Louve managed to land on her feet, and saw in front of her the one who had thrown the fireball. Standing in front of her, a man with grayish skin, yellow eyes, pointy teeth and flaming blue hair, wearing a black robe and a smoky base. Looking at her, he said:

"Name's Hades, lord of the dead. Hi, how ya doin'?"

To her amazement, Hades from Disney's Hercules was looking at her right then. He was not the cast member anymore, but the real Hades, as if he had been pulled from the movie. That meant that the cast member had been akumatized. Looking around, she saw that he had not been the only one. The remaining Disney cast members had all been akumatized and were now attacking both her friends, as well as the people that were still around.

"Nothing personal, kiddo. It's just businesses." -Hades said as he created another fireball in his left hand and threw it at Louve Grise, who escaped in the nick of time, by rolling down one of the floats.

" _This is bad…. Having Hawk Moth and his goons trying to dilacerate is one thing. But having Disney villains trying to roast you alive, that's way worst._ " -Louve Grise thought to herself. When she was little, one of her wishes was to meet one of the Disney heroes and fight alongside them against all the villains there were in the animated movies. But right then, she wished that had been just a wish, and nothing more. –" _I've got to find a way out of here, and regroup with the others, so we can take these guys out._ " -she thought to herself, when she saw something black crawling underneath the float, reaching her feet. Whatever the stuff was, it was not a liquid, but it was not solid either.

Suddenly, that black stuff began to grow bigger and bigger, forcing Louve back, as it grew to such proportions it managed to lift the float, as a dark sinister figure looked under it. The figure was man in a black trench coat, black gloves, leg wraps, and ankle-length ninja boots, wearing a white and red with piercing yellow eyes kabuki mask. She immediately recognized him. It was Yokai from Big Hero 6, and if he was there, then the black stuff that kept on growing in size were microbots. Knowing just how powerful he was with those things, she used her ice breath to freeze the microbots, and then used her fans to quickly dig her way out of there. Yokai tried to grab her himself, but she somersaulted over him, as his microbots ended up turning the float she had been under, making it crash against some trees. Luckily there was no one there.

"Got to put some distance between me and that guy." -Louve began to run down the avenue, taking down every of Hawk Moth's pawns that appeared in front of her.

She thought she had escaped, only to see herself face to face, with yet another villain. She had just turned her head to look over her shoulder to see if anyone was following, when she was grabbed by the throat. The villain in question was a skeletal creature with green, rotting flesh and two gnarled horns on his head, yellow eyes with red pupils, wearing red robe with a brown fur cloak. He was the Horned King from The Black Cauldron, and he was just as evil as he looked. Trying to get his bony hands off her neck, Louve tried to use her powers once again, but his hands were practically choking her. If he went on, she knew she was going to lose her senses in a matter of seconds.

"You will do nicely… you'll be perfect as a sacrifice for the Black Cauldon!" -the Horned King said.

"Leave her alone, ugly!" -a voice was heard, coming from above.

Looking up, he saw Corbeau Noire flying in the air. Commanding the shadow that the Horned King was casting, she ordered the shadow to wrap itself around the villain's body. The villain tried to resist, but it was no use. Squeezing him very slowly, Corbeau tried to make him release Louve Grise from his grasp, but when that did not happen, ordered another nearby shadow to pull her out of his grasp. In a matter of seconds, she was safe. Ordering the shadow that had released her, the raven heroine told her to put Louve on the ground and then, to wrap itself and the Horned King to a street lamp, thus putting the villain out of circulation. Coming down, Corbeau went to see if her friend was alright.

"Are you alright?" -Corbeau Noire asked Louve, as she landed in front of her.

"Thanks… I thought for a second that he was going to crush my neck." -Louve Grise said, as she gasped for air, while massaging her neck. She was going to be sore in the morning. –"That guy may be a walking corpse, but he's really strong."

"Believe me, I know what you mean." -Corbeau said. –"I had to take care of Jafar, so I could buy a couple of people enough time for them to get away, and he was no pushover." -she told her.

"The only good thing about all this mess is that most of the Akuma butterflies have been destroyed. There are a few still around, but mostly have been destroyed or have already infected some poor souls… what was that?"

Something went by the two heroines at such a speed, they both did not understand what it had been. Only when they looked to their left and looked more closely that they understood that it was Flamingo, who had passed by them. Shortly after, another Flamingo passed by them, also running as fast as she could.

"Excuse me… Coming through…" -Flamingo said, as she passed by them.

"How many Flamingos are around here?" -Louve Grise asked Corbeau Noire, as she got up.

"The last time I checked, she had made about 30 copies of herself to help people escaping." -Corbeau Noire told her.

"Then, we just saw either the real one and one of her copies, or two of her copies." -Louve said.

"Most likely the second one. Flamingo, the real one, always waves at us when she passes by." -Corbeau Noire stated. –"It's kind of her way to let us know that she's not one of her copies." -she declared. –"Are you ready to go on?"

"Definitely." -Louve waved her head. –"I'm going to extract the Akuma butterfly from Mr. Horned King over there, and then I'll follow you."

"Okay. Don't take long. We still have a lot of people to evacuate, and I fear that if Hawk Moth tried something else, we might have our troubles increased in double." -Corbeau told her, as she took off into the sky, leaving Louve Grise to deal with the Horned King.

* * *

Not far from there, Daft Punk were hiding underneath their mix table, not knowing where to go. Between the Disney villains that were going up and down the parade, trying to catch as many people as possible so they could use them as hostages or as shields against the police or the heroes, and the akumatized victims that had been turned into Hawk Moth's pawns, the two musicians did not know where to go. Cowering in fear, they were both begging that no one found them there. Suddenly, they felt something landing on the float, and then, they saw their mix table being ripped out of its place. To their surprise, the one who did it was none other than Carapace, who had come to rescue them.

"Don't worry, guys. I came here to save you. I already saved Jagged Stone and his pet crocodile, and now it's your turn." -Carapace said, as one of Hawk Moth's pawns jumped from the street and tried to hit him in the back. Still, having felt him approach, he swayed his tonfas at him, hitting in mid-air, putting him out of commission. –"Now, you guys just hold still where you are, and trust me. This will only take a minute."

Using his powers, he created a sphere out of shields, and signaled both musicians to remain calm. He then signaled Arachnid, who was nearby for a little hand. Climbing up to the top of one of the nearby buildings, he then used his lasso, to lasso the sphere, so he could pull it up.

"Don't you worry, you're in good hands. This sphere won't break, no matter how much the bad guys try to break it." -Carapace said it. –"Arachnid's going to pull you up there, where you'll be safe. After this is over, we'll get you down, okay?" -he told them, as he heard an explosion nearby. –"Got to run… Arachnid, I'll leave the rest up to you, bro!"

With those words, Carapace sprinted out of there. Following the sound of screams, he found his girlfriend, Rena Rouge battling against a group of Hawk Moth's pawns who had somehow managed to blow up a police vehicle. Luckily, no one was hurt, but the creatures, no content with what they had done, started to pull out parts from the flaming debris and were now throwing at them at the innocent bystanders.

"Stay back! Stay back!" -one of the police officers ordered one of the pawns, who had a flaming tire in his hands, and was swinging it at him and the people that were behind them.

"Alright, that's enough!" -Rena Rouge used her flute staff to conjure a wall between the pawn and the police officer, thus giving them an opportunity to run. –"Why don't you pick on someone your own size, like me, buster?" -she asked the pawn, who wasted no time in attacking her. –"Come on, is that the best you can do?"

"Need a hand?" -Carapace asked his girlfriend, as he jumped in front of her and with a rotating kick, sent that pawn flying into the air.

"Well, I wouldn't mind a little help." -Rena smiled at him. –"Can you come up with a way to keep these guys from hurting or destroying everything? Because I'm getting a little sick of coming up with new ways to keep them from jumping on people and try to kill them." -she sighed.

"I think I might have an idea. You just focus on keeping people away from them, and leave the rest to me." -Carapace winked at her, as he proceeded to fight the other pawns that were gathered around the flaming police vehicle.

Taking them one by one, Carapace then used his powers to seal them in a sphere, just like he did with the Daft Punk and Jagged Stone. Knowing that they would not be able to get everyone out of there, he felt that it would be easier to catch and contain Hawk Moth's pawns in a single place, and then remove all the Akuma butterflies from them, in one quick swoop, than to going around and taking them out one by one.

"That's right. We separate the wheat from the chaff." -Carapace thought to himself, as he trapped yet another of the pawns in one of his translucid green energy spheres.

But, he was not going to be able to do that all by himself. He knew he was going to need help to get them all. He noticed that Rena, who was just a couple of meters from him, was herself busy trying to calm down a little girl who was lost from her parents, while also trying to see them, based on the little girl's description of their clothes.

Then, he saw Flamingo passing by him. Running, he caught up with her. Not knowing if she was the real Flamingo, or just one of her duplicates, he had to ask her:

"Okay, okay, you're a copy or the real one?"

"A copy, why?" -she asked him.

"Never mind that. I need help to grab all the Hawk Moth pawns, so I can trap them in spheres, like these guys. Do you think you could tell the others to grab all of them, and bring them here, so I can put them all in spheres?" -Carapace asked her.

"You got it. I'll tell the others, as well as the real me of what you said… and I'll come back with at least one of those pawns myself." -she said.

"Good. And tell them to hurry up. We've got clean this up fast, because something tells me that Ladybug, Chat, Grizzly and Antelope might need a little help." -Carapace said, as Flamingo's copy left to transmit his message.

* * *

Queen Bee had managed to destroy most of the Akuma butterflies up in the air, with a little help from both Dragonfly and Louve Grise. After that, she decided to help some of the police officers who saw themselves battling against one of the worst Disney villains ever created, Ursula, the Sea Witch. The officers were having trouble with her, because not only her tentacles allowed her to grab and hurl several objects at them at the same time, she was also throwing bottles with all kinds of potions that would explode on contact.

"Oh, you poor unfortunate souls… let me, help you." -Ursula laughed evilly.

"Hold it right there, sushi face!" -Queen Bee told her, as she hovered a couple of meters from the air. –"Now that I think of it, I'm in a mood for some sushi." -she thought to herself. –"You leave them alone, or

"And who do you think you are, dearie? A bumblebee?"

"Nope, I'm your worst nightmare, you sea slug!" -Queen Bee smirked.

Before the sea witch could react, Queen Bee threw her trompo to the ground and created a small twister that focused on the exact place Ursula was. Her plan was simple, suck up all the oxygen that was around her, and make her pass out. That would give her an opportunity to get the Akuma butterfly out of her. Ursula tried to get away, but there was no exit. In a couple of seconds, the oxygen around her disappeared, and she passed out. Landing next to her, she retrieved her trompo and made the twister disappear.

"No more evil-doings, for you, you stupid Akuma butterfly!" -Queen Bee said as she readied her trompo that had begun to glow. –"Time to relinquish you from evil!"

And with those words, she snagged the Akuma butterfly from inside Ursula, returning her to normal, and destroying the blasted creature with her own hands. Returning to normal, the woman inside the sea witch's costume felt like all that had happened was a bad dream. Telling the officers to take her to somewhere safe, the bee heroine flew out of there, searching for something else to do. Looking down, she saw that her friends were all doing their best to fight off the Hawk Moth pawns.

" _Now where to? I should have paired up with someone to know what to do exactly..._ " -Queen Bee said, as her eyes caught one Hawk Moth pawn climbing onto the float where her dad was earlier one. And that's when it hit her. She forgot about her father. In all the chaos that ensued, she did not even know if her dad was alright or not. –" _Oh, my God, dad! I completely forgot about him! I have to find him!_ "

Diving, she started looking for her dad, hoping that he had not been akumatized by one of the nasty butterflies. With her heart beating like crazy, she just wanted to find her dad and make sure he was alright.

" _Come on, dad… where are you?_ " -she asked herself, as she passed by one of Flamingo's copies.

And then, she heard a voice begging for help. She knew that voice too well to confuse it with another. It was her father's voice, and it was coming from the Halloween Regal Float. Looking at it, she saw Hawk Moth's pawn thrashing the float, ripping part of a prop, which revealed Mayor Bourgeois underneath it.

"Get away! Get away!" -Mayor Bourgeois exclaimed, as the creature tried to grab him with its claws.

Seeing what was going on, Queen Bee clenched her fists and flew as fast as she could to rescue her father.

"Leave him alone, ugly!" -Queen Bee said as she threw her trompo at, yanking the creature and making it fly over the air. Landing near it, she checked him to see if he was alright. Grabbing the heavy prop, she lifted the heavy prop as if it was made of papier mâché. Helping him getting up on his feet, the heroine saw that he was alright, just really shaken by what happened.

"Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you, da… I mean, mister Mayor?" -Queen Bee asked him, as she carried him to the ground.

"I-I'm fine, thank you." -Mayor Bourgeois said, as he leaned himself against Queen Bee.

"We've got to stop meeting like this. Otherwise, I'll only be known as the heroine who saves the life of the mayor of Paris." -Queen Bee said, as she saw two police officers approaching them. –"These gentlemen will take you to safety. I wish I could stay longer, but there's a lot to be done." -she smiled, as she took off, leaving her father with the police officers. She knew they would protect him, while she and her friends took care of the rest.


	9. The Fight Before Halloween

While the rest of the team dealt with the pawns Hawk Moth had created, Ladybug and Chat Noir were fighting against the big bad villain himself down the avenue, who was proving to be a fierce opponent. Blow after blow, Hawk Moth was fighting them with everything he had. And though the two heroes were starting to feel exhausted, the villain himself did not seem to even be breaking a sweat, as he attacked them both wish his cane, as well as his hands to counterattack everything they threw at him.

"You two are resilient, I'll give you that." -Hawk Moth said, as he swung his cane at Ladybug, missing her nose by mere inches. –"But as resilient as you might be, I have the upper hand in this fight."

"If by having the upper hand means that you are trying to bore us to death with your monologues, then, yeah, you really do!" -Chat Noir joked, as he landed a punch on the villain's shoulder. He had aimed for his chest, but he dodged at the last minute.

"You will pay for your insolent words, Chat Noir." -Hawk Moth said, as he punched him in the face. When his hand hit Chat's face, the feline hero felt like he had just gone against a brick wall. Confusing him with that move, Hawk Moth than kicked him in the chest, sending flying for a couple of metres. –"Aren't you getting tired of being my punching bag?"

He had just said that, when he was hit on the back of the head. Ladybug, using the fact that the villain was too busy with Chat, had managed to get behind him unnoticed and kick him. The blow was so hard that Hawk Moth staggered for a couple of feet. Seeing the opportunity to inflict damage on him, ladybug did not hold back. Combining her martial arts training with a couple of dance moves she saw on numerous videoclips over the years, she managed to land a few well-placed blows on Hawk Moth.

"Instead of talking, you should be more aware of what's around you!" -Ladybug exclaimed, as she threw her yo-yo at him. Her intention was to wrap it around his body and then pull the string, making the villain fall on his back. Unfortunately, Hawk Moth grabbed with his left hand and pulled it, making Ladybug fall on her face. Looking up, she saw him approaching her, though she did not have to look to know what he was approaching. The sound of the tip of his cane hitting the asphalt was unmistakable.

"You and your boyfriend are starting to get on my nerves, Ladybug." -Hawk Moth told her, as he looked at her.

"He's… not… my… boyfriend…" -Ladybug said with her teeth clenched. –" _Though I wouldn't mind if he really was._ " -she thought to herself, wondering how in the world could she be thinking about that, when her mortal enemy was looking at her, ready to kill her.

"Really? Well, it doesn't matter. Once I finish you, I'll take care of him as well." -Hawk Moth told her, as he lifted his cane. He was going to finish her with one blow, that would split her head into two.

"Catacylsm!"

That was the word it was word by both Ladybug and Hawk Moth, just before Chat jumped and sunk his claws on Hawk Moth's back. He knew that his attack would not have the same effect if had when he used it against most of things, but he knew that it would still hurt him like Hell. Feeling the claws sinking into his back, Hawk Moth screamed in pain, giving Ladybug an opportunity to kick him in the stomach. The pain was so strong, that he knelt down in pain.

"W-Why, you l-little…" -Hawk Moth said, as he tried to get up.

"Watch your tongue! There could be kids around here who might be listening, you know?" -Chat Noir joked, as he pointed out to the people that had remained behind the traffic separators to see the fight. As the fight went on down the avenue, the police officers assigned to the specific locations to keep the order, advised the people to exit out of there in an orderly fashion, but they were just mesmerized by the battle.

Tired of hearing him and his jokes, Hawk Moth clenched his fists and swinging both his arms, he fired a purple shockwave that caught both Chat Noir and Ladybug by surprise, sending them flying a couple of meters in the air, before they hit a shop window, breaking it and landing inside. Confused and astounded, not to mention hurt, by that attack from Hawk Moth, the leader of the Miraculous team and her second in command asked themselves how did the villain managed to do that. The first time they thought him, he never used energy based attacks. They did not know if those attacks were the result of him saying that on that night his powers were stronger, or if in their previous encounter, he did not feel like using them. But one thing was for sure, they packed quite the punch.

"Are you okay, milady?" -Chat asked Ladybug, as he tried to get up, though that last attack from Hawk Moth, combined with the feline's use of his special attack, had left him exhausted.

"I-I'm okay. And you?" -Ladybug said.

"I'm peachy." -he grinned.

"I don't know about you, but I feel like I was runover by a truck." -Ladybug said, as she tried to get up. Luckily, unlike Chat who landed on a hard surface, she landed on something soft. Looking around, she found out that they had been thrown inside a furniture shop.

"Like I said… peachy." -Chat tried to pretend that he was not hurt, but he was not doing a very good job at it. Leaning against something that used to be a chair, he tried to get back on his feet. When this one broke, and made him fell on his knees, he decided to use his staff to do the job.

"We've got to go, before he decides we're not worth the trouble." -Ladybug told him, as she got back on her feet.

"I don't think… we're going to have to worry about that." -Chat said, as he pointed outside the broken window shop.

Standing outside the shop, Hawk Moth entered through broken window shop. Looking at him, both Ladybug and Chat Noir knew he was pissed, just by the look in his eyes, and that was not good… not for them, at least.

"You two are going to beg me to kill you quickly…" -Hawk Moth told them in an incredibly serious and sinister voice.

* * *

At the same time, a little further back, Grizzly Bear and Antelope were fighting both Reptile and Madame Romani, who had been ordered by Hawk Moth to dispose of them. Just like Ladybug and Chat Noir, the two heroes were having a bit of a problem with Hawk Moth's goons, who like their boss, seemed stronger than usual, as if their abilities had been heightened somehow. Still, that did not stop them from fighting them with all their might. While Antelope made use of his speed and leaping ability to evade Madame Romani's multiple illusions, Grizzly was using Reptile as a punching bag.

"You can't keep dodging my illusions forever, kid!" -Madame Romani exclaimed, as she made a pack of hungry and vicious wolves appear in front of her. Howling, the illusionary creatures tried to bit Antelope, only to fail, as he jumped five meters in the air, only to land on top of them with both feet, smiting into smoke

"If your plan to destroy me involves keep throwing doggies at me, let me just tell you this…" -Antelope said, as he speeded out of there, just to show up behind Madame Romani. –"… you better come up with something else, because

"Then try this!" -Madame Romani exclaimed, as she grabbed him by the shoulder, and threw him a couple of feet away. Landing hard on his back, Antelope did not have the time to react, before he saw himself with Madame Romani with her foot on top of his chest. –"If my illusions don't work on you, then let's see if my hypnotism does." -she said as looked him in the eyes.

Antelope tried to look away, but it was too late. Using her mesmerizing powers, Madame Romani looked him in the eyes and began to hypnotize him. He struggled a bit, but she was too strong for him. Smiling evilly, the gypsy witch pondered on what she was going to do next with him. With Antelope under her power, she could give him any order, and he would have to obey her, whether he wanted, or not.

" _What to do? What to do?_ " -Madame Romani mused to herself. –" _I could ask him to just hang over his miraculous, and then, I would know he really is… but what's the point of knowing that? Once I have his miraculous, it will be all over. No, I think I'm going to have a little fun with him first._ " -she kept musing to herself. –" _Perhaps I'll make him jump from the top of one of the nearby buildings, commanding him to land on his head, so he breaks it, along with his neck… or maybe, I could command him to snap his own neck with his bare hands… oh, yes that would live up my night. And then, I'll just take his miraculous from his dead body and give it to Hawk Moth._ "

But before she could do any of it, Reptile, who was thrown by Grizzly Bear, fell on top of her, thus breaking her control over Antelope. While the villains tried to get back on their feet, Grizzly helped the antelope hero get back on his feet. As he got up, he took left hand to his temple, rubbing it, because it felt like his head was about to explode.

"Are you okay?" -Grizzly asked him.

"Y-Yeah… but that woman trying to hypnotize me, gave me a colossal headache." -Antelope said, as he kept rubbing his temple. –"What's with these guys that look like they're stronger than usual?" -he asked, as he saw both Reptile and Madame Romani also getting back on their feet.

"I don't know, but I don't intend to let that stop me from using that two-bit snake as a punching bag, man." -Grizzly said, as he crackled his knuckles in anticipation. His comment gaining him the full attention from Reptile.

"We'll see who'll use who as a punching bag, kid!" -Reptile growled at the bear hero.

Looking at Grizzly Bear, Antelope asked him:

"You want to switch? It's not that I'm tired of rumbling with that witch, but I could go for a round against lizard boy over there."

"Well… okay, I guess we ca switch. But don't put him out of commission, okay? I still want to get him back for that punch he gave me in the nose, a couple of minutes ago." -Grizzly warned him.

"Okay, don't worry. I won't break your toy. I'm just going to soften him a bit." -Antelope grinned.

"You talk big, but let's see if you can dodge my attacks!" -Reptile exclaimed, when he felt someone tapping him on the shoulder.

"You mean like this?" -Antelope smirked, as he punched him in the gut, making fly a couple of yards in the air.

"G-Get him!" -Reptile exclaimed to the gypsy woman, as he pulled himself up.

But before she could react, Grizzly came at her and punched her in the ribs. It had not been his strongest punch, but against a woman, even a woman as strong as Madame Romani, it prevented her from casting any kind of illusion or trick that could help Reptile to defeat Antelope.

"I'm you opponent, you wench, not him!" -Grizzly told her.

"In that case… you're going to be sorry for being my opponent, Grizzly Bear!" -Madame Romani glared at him, her eyes filled with anger from that last punch of his. He could tell that she was not going to go softly on him, which was exactly what he wanted.

"Bring it, witch!" -Grizzly exclaimed as he attacked her, once more.

* * *

As the fight went on, back at the parade Carapace, with a little help from Rena Rouge, Queen Bee, Louve Grise, Corbeau Noire, Flamingo and her several copies, managed to get every single Hawk Moth pawn there was and confine them to energy spheres, gathering them all onto a single place, where they would not bother anyone at all, until they were restored to their true appearance. Stacking them up in some of the floats, they knew they would not hurt anyone while in those spheres.

"That was the last of them." -Rena Rouge said.

"Good." -Flamingo said, as she made all her copies disappear. –"I didn't expect to be so many of them."

"And if it was not for Queen Bee who took most of them while they were up in the air, there would be a lot more." -Carapace said.

"Well, I was not going to let them get away, now was I?" -Queen Bee joked as she landed near her friends.

They had not counted them, but as they looked at the amount of green energy spheres that Carapace created to hold them, they easily assumed that there were at least about 80 or 90 Hawk Moth pawns there.

"So, what are we going to do with them? We have to get those Akuma butterflies form inside them." -Corbeau Noire.

"But they're so many. It's going to take us all night." -Queen Bee whined about it. Just the idea of having to extract those butterflies, one by one from those poor souls, was making her feel even more exhausted than she already was.

"Don't be so melodramatic. I say that in a matter of 20 minutes, we'll have them all back to normal." -Carapace said. –"If all of us land a hand, we'll have this done in a jiffy."

"And what about Ladybug and the others? They're probably in need of our help." -Louve Grise declared.

They had been so busy taking down the akumatized Disney cast members and the pawns, while protecting the people that were attacked by either one of them, that they had completely forgotten about their friends, who stayed behind to take care of the main villains. They all believed they were able to take care of themselves, but a little help never hurt anyone. Taking charge of things, Rena Rouge decided to stay behind and herself to take care of the pawns, while the rest of them went ahead to help Ladybug and the others.

"She's right. They're probably in need of help. You guys go and see if you can help them. I'll stay behind and take care of these. Once I'm done, I'll join you."

"You're sure you don't want any help? I can stay and help you." -Carapace asked her.

"No, you go with them. I'm almost certain that your defensive and healing powers are going to come in handy." -Rena told him.

"But we can't just leave you alone to take care of this." -Flamingo told her.

"It's going to take you forever to do this alone." -Corbeau Noire declared.

But before the fox heroine could answer her, another heroine showed up. Forest Doe had just helped Dragonfly taking down of the akumatized cast members, and was now joining them, while Dragonfly herself flew ahead to give a hand to Ladybug and Chat Noir.

"I'll stay with you and help you out." -Forest Doe told Rena Rouge.

"Thanks." -Rena smiled, with Doe returning the smile. –"Okay, while she and I take care of this, you guys go and help the others. Remember, be careful." -she said. They were all starting to get exhausted, and one thing that is true, is that when a person starts to get exhausted, it tends to make mistakes.

"You got it." –Louve Grise said.

"Don't take too long to get this done. We'll be expecting you." -Carapace winked at Rena, who smiled.

At the same time, Panda Rouge took out the last Disney cast member, who had been akumatized, turning into the character he was portraying, which in his case was Oogie Boogie. It had been quite the battle between the two of them, but in the end, Panda Rouge's drawing reality ability allowed him to counter attack the villain's attacks, allowing him to prevail. Using his spear, and reciting the magical chant that allowed him and his companions to extract the Akuma butterfly from an akumatized victim, he grabbed and destroyed the evil creature.

"And that's the last of them." -Panda Rouge said, as helped the cast member getting back on his feet. –"Don't worry, you're going to be fine."

A couple of seconds later, Arachnid showed up, landing near him. He had just helped a group of people, who in the confusion, somehow, while running from the Akuma butterflies, managed to get stuck beneath one of the floats.

"I see you've been a little busy."

"I have, but luckily that was the last one of them... at least, I think it was." -Panda sighed.

"It was. Dragonfly and Forest Doe took care of Maleficent a couple of minutes ago, which was one of the last two Disney cast members still akumatized, and you took care of the second one right now." -Arachnid declared.

"And what about the Hawk Moth pawns? I saw Flamingo and her copies, as well as Corbeau Noire; Louve Grise and Queen Bee carrying them in that direction." -Panda Rouge told him, after which Arachnid told him about Carapace's plan on how to deal with them, and preventing them from destroying public property and hurting people. –"Well, that was a good idea, I have to admit. Are they going to get rid of the Akuma butterflies in them?"

"I suppose so." -Arachnid said. -"Look, I don't know about you, but I'm going ahead. Something tells me that Ladybug and the other three might need a little hand." -he stated.

"I'll go with you. I think the police can handle things from here on." -Panda Rouge said. –"And believe me, you're not the only one who thinks that."

"Alright then. Do you need a lift, or…"

"Are you kidding? With this little one, I'll even outrun Antelope." -Panda Rouge as he finished drawing for himself what could be described as a rocket-powered skateboard. Though he was used to seeing his friend do that, Arachnid still wondered how he was able to draw things that fast. –"I'll race you there." -he said, as he climbed to the skateboard.

"You're on!" -Arachnid exclaimed.

* * *

The fight between Ladybug, Chat Noir and Hawk Moth had taken a turn for the worst, when Hawk Moth blasted both heroes inside of a closed shopping mall. The villain had used once more one of his energy shockwave attacks on the two of them, which ended up with them going through a wall. Seeing themselves in the middle of the lobby, they were amazed just by how huge it was. Even Chat, who lived in a mansion, was amazed by the sheer size of that place. Neither one of them recognized the place, which meant that neither had been there before. Its décor was mix between the opulence of the rococo and the whiteness of the minimalism. A rather interesting choice of styles. In the ceiling there was an enormous golden crystal chandelier, surrounded by six smaller copies of the same. The floor was all made of black-polished marble. The stores were all of them, from famous brands such as Dior, Versace, Michael Kors, among many others. It did not take long for the two heroes to tell themselves that that was the kind of place where they would easily find Chloé shopping on a weekend, when she had nothing better to do.

As they tossed the rubble that was on top of them and got up, both Ladybug and Chat knew that every muscle in their bodies was going to be sore in the morning.

"I don't know about you, but I think that he's getting stronger with each passing minute." -Chat Noir said.

"I think he was not kidding when he said that his powers were stronger… and I think I might now why." -Ladybug said, as she shook the dust from her suit. –"If his powers are magical, just like ours, then, the fact that we're close to Halloween, his powers increase because of the supposed barriers between the world of the living and the world of the dead are frailer."

"But if that was the case, then, shouldn't our powers be stronger as well?" -Chat Noir asked her. –"Because I don't feel any stronger. Do you feel?"

Chat had a point. Ladybug herself did not feel any different or stronger. If their powers were magical, just like Hawk Moth's were, then why was he stronger and they were not? Still, they did not have the time to figure out what was really going on. Hawk Moth was going to come through the whole they made earlier, and they had to ready themselves.

"No… but right now, whether I'm right or wrong about this theory of mine, it doesn't matter. What matters is that we have to find a way to defeat him."

"If it wasn't just the two of us, I would believe we had a chance… but…"

"Come on, we've been through a lot worse." -Ladybug lied. When saying that, she did not know if she was lying to Chat or to herself. –"Who am I trying to kid? We've never been this bad before… sure, we had to deal with several Akumas, but never with the one who created them in the first place." -she thought to herself, not counting the first time they faced Hawk Moth. –"Okay, relax. Everything is going to be fine. We just need to keep our heads cool, and everything will be fine."

As Hawk Moth came through the wall, the two heroes prepared themselves for whatever the villain was about to throw at them. No matter just how tired and fatigued they were, they were not going out without a fight. They both knew that the two of them could be on the verge of defeat, but they were not going to let Hawk Moth win that easily. Looking at the heroes, Hawk Moth smirked evilly.

"If you give up now, I'll give you a merciful death." -Hawk Moth said.

"And if we don't? Are you going to give us a painful one?" -Chat raised his eyebrow at the villain. –"Tough choice, don't you think, milady?" -he asked Ladybug, trying to lighten up the tension in the air.

"Indeed… and you know what? We'll pass on that offer of yours!" -Ladybug exclaimed.

"In that case, I'll enjoy sending you to the other world." -Hawk Moth smirked, when suddenly something hit him from behind, making him fall on his face.

To his surprise, what hit him were none other than Reptile and Madame Romani, both unconscious. Quickly turning his head back, he saw both Grizzly Bear and Antelope looking at him, both with a cocky smile on their lips.

"Thought we should give them back to you." -Grizzly Bear told Hawk Moth.

"Yeah. You really got to find better minions, because those two stooges are just… well, I don't even know a word that isn't an insult to describe them, you know?" -Antelope told him. –"Either way, you've got to find better help." -he laughed

Seeing his two lieutenants lying on the floor in front of him, made hawk Moth realize that the young hero might have been right about it. Once again, they had failed him by not being able to carry out a simple order, which was to kill both Antelope and Grizzly Bear and bringing him their miraculouses.

" _Idiots… Do I have to do everything myself?_!" -Hawk Moth thought to himself, as he made a mental not to punish the two of them later. –"You may have been able to defeat Madame Romani and Reptile, but I won't go down that easily. The four of you and your powers are nothing compared to mine."

"Maybe not… but what if instead of 4, you had 12 of us to worry about?" -a voice asked the villain.

Entering through the hole that Ladybug and Chat Noir had done, most of the Miraculous Team was standing there, ready to help their friends and defeat Hawk Moth.

"You're either incredibly brave, or incredibly foolish. But in the end, numbers don't matter. What matters is who has the most power, and I am that person here." -Hawk Moth laughed evilly.

"Says who? You?!" -Antelope asked him in a sarcastic tone.

"You've already caused enough trouble for one night, you psycho. It's time we finish this." -Queen Bee said. –"Ladybug, Chat, you two stay this one out and get some rest. We'll handle him."

Though they both felt that they should fight by their side, both Ladybug and Chat Noir knew that in their current condition, they would not be much help.

"Very well, come at me with everything you've got, you brats!" -Hawk Moth exclaimed.

Led by Queen Bee, the whole team attacked Hawk Moth, who wasted no time throwing energy attacks against them all, which caught them by surprise. As they kept fighting him, they had a taste of what Ladybug and Chat Noir had been facing over the last half an hour. The only one who did not throw himself against the villain was Carapace, who decided to act like the team's field doctor and look at his battered friends. Helping them walk to a more sheltered place, it did not take much for him to understand that they were used as a punching back by Hawk Moth. Once they found that place, on one of the mall's side galleries, Carapace told them to lie down and let him do his thing. Quickly, he used his healing powers to soothe their wounds. As soon as he used his powers on them, they began to feel much better. They were still sore, but at least they could now move with a lot more ease.

"Are you guys feeling better?" -the turtle hero asked them both, as he used his healing powers.

"Much better, thanks to you, bro." -Chat Noir told Carapace. –"You guys showed up just in the nick of time."

"Yeah, a couple of more seconds, and I think he would have ended us." -Ladybug sighed, as she tried not to move much, so as let Carapace's healing magic do its work in her aching muscles.

"What are you talking about?" -Carapace asked her, a little surprised by that statement.

"He's stronger than the last time we went up against them." -Ladybug told him. –"I think that it has something to do with his powers being stronger because we're close to Halloween and all." -she explained.

"But if that was the case, shouldn't we also be stronger as well? I mean, our powers are different from his, but they have same origin." -Carapace stated.

"That's what I also told her." -Chat said. –"If our powers have the same origin, then why aren't we stronger?" -he asked as a loud explosion was heard, resulting in the whole place to start shaking.

"A-And like I told you before, I don't know. But the fact is that Hawk Moth is a lot stronger and… Watch out!" -Ladybug yelled, as she launched herself in the direction of Chat and Carapace.

Having been distracted with the conversation, they failed to realize that Hawk Moth had unleashed a powerful energy attack against the other heroes. The attack not only managed to throw the heroes against the walls, but also managed to do massive damage on the building's structure. Such damage resulted in a large piece of concrete from the ceiling right where Ladybug, Chat Noir and Carapace were to fall directly on them. If it was not for Ladybug's speed, the two of them would have ended up as pancakes. Still, in the ensuing chaos, Chat was hit on the head, when a small piece of concrete fell on him.

Worried about him, Ladybug kneeled right beside the feline hero, who showed no sign of life. Carapace, who also kneeled beside him, quickly checked his pulse.

"Is he…"

"Don't worry, he just passed out. Probably from being hit on the head." –Carapace told her. –"Fortunately, he has a hard noggin, so he'll be peachy." -he joked, trying to calm Ladybug down.

"But, he's going to be alright, isn't he?" -Ladybug asked him.

"He will, don't worry. But, when he wakes up, he'll probably have a nasty headache." -Carapace said. –"Stay with him. I'm going to check out what happened, and if the others are alright." -he told her.

"Okay." -Ladybug waved her head in compliance.

"Don't worry. I won't take long. And just to be on the safe side, I'm going to leave you guys with this." -Carapace declared, as he swung his tonfas and created a shield that in front of them, thus confining them to the side gallery. –"Be back in a second."

As she saw Carapace leaving, Ladybug asked herself if the rest of the team was alright. That attack had been quite strong, and she was sure Hawk Moth caught some of them with it. She just hoped they would not be hurt, or worse. Looking at Chat, she could not help but to admire just how peaceful he looked, given what happened to him.

"Oh, Adrien… this is the fourth time this month that I save you." -Ladybug thought to herself. –"You silly kitty… sometimes I wonder if your bad luck affects you too, and it's somehow pushing you towards me." -she smirked. Such an idea was rather ridiculous, but it had a nice ring to it.

Her train of thought was interrupted, when she felt her yo-yo vibrating. Recently, she and the others had discovered that somehow, their cell phones had fused themselves with their weapons, allowing them to make and receive calls while wearing their hero outfits. Grabbing it, she opened it and saw that it was her mother, no doubt calling her to ask her if she was alright.

" _Crud, I can't answer this call now. But if I don't do it, mom will get worried and I'll be in trouble when I get home._ " -Ladybug thought to herself. –" _Screw it! I just have to lie to her and tell her that I'm alright and hope for the best._ " -she told herself, as she answered the call. –"Hey, mom!"

"Marinette, are you alright?" -Sabine asked her. She had been watching the Halloween parade on the television, when the fight against Hawk Moth broke out. Fearing for Marinette's life, she tried to call her a couple of times already, but only now did she answered. –"I've been trying to call you."

"Sorry, mom, I must have left my cell phone on silent mode. But, I-I'm fine, mom. I'm with Adrien, Alya and Nino." -she lied.

"I just wanted to know, because of what's going on around there." -Sabine told her.

"I know, we saw it happening. But don't worry, we ran away and right now, we're on our way home." -Ladybug kept lying. She hated lying to her mother, but there was no way to do it, given her current situation. –"Oh, I'm about to run out of signal. We're going into the underground." -she said. –"I'll be home in about half an hour."

"Okay, then, honey. Your father and I we'll be waiting for you." -Sabine said, as Ladybug ended the call.

" _Great! Now, I've got to find a way to end this quickly, or I won't be able to get home by the time I said I would be._ " -Ladybug cursed herself. –" _There's got to be a way to end this quickly… but how?_ "


	10. A Little Setback

If one had asked Ladybug how her night was going to be, she would have answered that she expected to be a night spent with her friends having fun at the Halloween parade, while performing for everyone in Paris who decided to show up to see the show. Regrettably, that kind of night would only be possible in her imagination, since Hawk Moth decided to show up and ruin everything by attacking them and everyone attending the parade.

In sum, though it started well, that night had turned into a night that she and everyone else on the Miraculous Team would most likely want to forget. To make matters worse, Chat Noir had been hit on the head by falling debris and was now unconscious. To topple everything, the blue-haired heroine's mom had called her and she, in her innocence, told her that she would be home in about 30 minutes, although she had no idea how she was going to do that with Hawk Moth still on the loose and bent on killing her and her friends.

" _There's got to be a way to defeat this guy that doesn't involve using a nuclear warhead…_ " -Ladybug thought to herself, while trying to come up with a plan to end that battle.

As she thought about it, there was another loud explosion that shook the building's structure. Fearing that another piece of debris could land on her or on Chat, who remained unconscious, she decided to use her yo-yo and spin it as fast as she could, creating a sort of shield that would protect her and her friend from anything that could fall on them, obliterating it. And a good thing she did it, because soon after a large piece of concrete dropped on them. But, thanks to her yo-yo, it turned to dust.

" _I've got to do something and fast. I've got to go and help the others._ " -Ladybug told herself. –" _But… I can't leave Chat alone, and I can't break through this shield that Carapace left behind. What a great hero and leader I am. My friends are all out there risking their lives to stop that maniac, and I'm here…_ " -she thought.

Then, a new explosion happened, this one different from the others. This one had been weaker, and though the place shook, it was not like the others. Another difference was that this time, two of Ladybug's friends and companions were hurled to where she was, hitting the shield created by Carapace, before falling to the ground.

"Panda! Grizzly!" -she cried, seeing her friends fallen.

And then, he showed up, walking among the debris caused by the fight… Hawk Moth. When the young heroine saw him, her heart stopped for a moment. Deep inside of her, she had hoped that even if Panda Rouge and Grizzly Bear had been taken down, that one of the others had managed to stop Hawk Moth. But now, as she saw the villain from behind the green energy shield, approaching her, she knew that they had failed to stop him. Looking at him, his eyes were burning with rage. His once austere face had been replaced by an even more twisted version of it, showing traces of sheer rage and fury. But, at the same time, he looked tired. When she and Chat Noir fought against him, throughout the fight, he looked like he was hardly breaking a sweat. Looking at him now, he looked a little battered up, not to mention exhausted. Still, no matter how he looked, it did not change the fact that he was there, and what was to come next, could not be good.

"So… cowering like rats, aren't you?" -Hawk Moth asked her. Usually, he wouldn't waste time with jokes on a situation like that, but he was feeling weak, and he did not know why. –"I usually don't congratulate my enemies, but this time I think I'll make an exception. Your friends here fought bravely." –he said. –"But in the end, I was victorious."

"Aren't you going to kill them and take their miraculouses, you monster?!" -Ladybug snapped at him. She was scared, but at the same time, she was mad at him for bragging about what he had done, and that gave her a spike of courage to tell him something she would not say, if she was not mad. –"Isn't that what you want from the very beginning?!"

"Oh, I am going to do that. But I'll start with yours and that feline. Only then, when I removed them from you and find out who you really are, will I kill you. And the same thing will happen to your friends, believe me." -Hawk Moth smirked, as he examined the shield separating him from his two enemies. –"Do you really think a mere shield can protect you from me?" -he asked them. –"Well, think again. Once this is broken, I'm going to finish you off, with my own two hands."

Raising his cane, he began to bask it against the shield. At first, nothing happened, and Ladybug believed that he would be able to break the green energy shield. None of the akumatized had ever been able to do it, so why would he able to do it? But then, as Hawk Moth intensified his attacks, tiny cracks began to show up on the shield's surface. Every time the tip of his cane hit the shield, the cracks got wider. Seeing that happening, Ladybug knew that it would only be a matter of time before

" _He's going to break this thing and then he's going to kill you and me, Adrien._ " Ladybug thought to herself, as she looked at the unconscious feline hero. –" _But don't worry, I'm not going to let him win that easily. I'll protect you, I promise._ " -she told herself. No matter how scared she was right then, she was not going to let that fear that was building up inside her chest to get the best of her. She was determined to face Hawk Moth alone, if that meant keeping Chat Noir safe.

Swing after swing, hit after hit, the cracks on the shield got larger as the seconds went by. Knowing that he was just mere minutes, if not seconds away from his prize, gave Hawk Moth a sudden burst of energy to keep on going.

" _Just a few more hits, and this thing will break like glass, and those two brats will be at my mercy._ " -Hawk Moth thought to himself. After so long, he was going to finally destroy the only thing that stood in his way of world domination. He could always feel the tiny little miraculouses in his hands, waiting to be turned to dust.

Just as he was about to break the shield, a shot was heard. Turning around, Hawk Moth saw a police officer pointing his gun to him. And this was no ordinary police officer, he was Louve Grise's dad, Lieutenant Roger Raincomprix, who had arrived on the scene, along with several other officers. Upon entering the mall and hearing the sound Hawk Moth's cane did when impacting against the energy shield, after ordering his men around to check the beaten heroes to see if they were alright, he decided to investigate the strange noise. Upon seeing Hawk Moth, he fired a warning shot to get his full attention.

"This was your only warning. Drop the cane, put your hands in the air and turn around, slowly!" -Lt. Raincomprix ordered Hawk Moth.

Hearing him say that Hawk Moth turned his head around and laughed. No matter how many times that happened, he always laughed when puny mortals threatened him with their pathetic weapons.

"You're trying to give me orders? That's rich!" -Hawk Moth laughed maniacally.

"I mean it! Drop the cane and put your hands in the air!" -Lt. Raincomprix insisted on the matter. Pointing his gun at Hawk Moth, he made sure to never take his eyes off him.

"You're a fool if you think that a mere mortal such as yourself thinks he stands a chance against the great Hawk Moth." -the villain told him in a neutral voice.

"You could even be the Queen Sheba for all I care! You've caused enough trouble for one night, buddy. Now, do as you're told, or I'll shoot you! I mean it, I'm not kidding around!"

Growing tired of that conversation, Hawk Moth quickly turned around and shot an energy blast from his left hand, trying to hit Lt. Raincomprix. But, to his amazement, the blast was weaker than he wanted, and furthermore, he failed the target. As for Louve's dad, he was forced to dodge to the left to escape the blast, but not before firing a round against Hawk Moth, hitting him on the right arm. As the bullet pierced the villain's sleeve, and lodged itself into his arm, he instinctively dropped the cane and with the other hand, applied pressure on the wound that kept on bleeding. Grunting with pain, Hawk Moth fell to his knees, while trying to stop the bleeding.

Seeing that happening, Ladybug was both amazed and scared. Relieved because Hawk Moth had been shot, and scared for the well-being of Lieutenant Raincomprix's, who must have seen his life flashing before his eyes. But, when she saw that he was alright, she became relieved.

"Okay, buddy. The party's over." -Lt. Raincomprix said, as he pointed his gun to Hawk Moth, who was still on his knees.

While on his knees Hawk Moth had managed to use some of his magic to remove the bullet and stop the bleeding. Feeling absolutely furious and enraged with all that, he quickly grabbed his cane and tried to fire an energy blast with it, only to find out that nothing happened. He tried to fire it again, but nothing happened. Somehow, someway, he had exhausted his powers.

" _How can this be?!_ " -Hawk Moth asked himself. –" _My powers should be unlimited tonight, and yet…_ "

"Buddy, you try anything funny again, and you'll be sorry." -Lt. Raincomprix warned him.

" _I don't know what's going on, but I have to get out of here and understand why my powers ran low._ " -the villain thought to himself, while turning his attention to Ladybug. –"This isn't over yet, Ladybug. I'll be back!" -Hawk Moth said, as he turned himself in a swarm of black butterflies which flew out of there, surprising both the heroine and Lt. Raincomprix who did not believe what Hawk Moth did, though he had seen it with his own eyes. The swarm flew at an incredible speed to where Reptile and Madame Romani, both still unconscious, were, after the police had cuffed them, and engulfed them, making them disappear. After that, the swarm flew away, leaving everyone speechless.

"I don't know what happened, but I'll consider us lucky." -Ladybug smiled, as she heard Chat Noir grunting. Leaning over him, she told him to stand still. –"Don't move, Chat, you were hit on the head." -she said

* * *

After using the power of the Ampulla Amulet to restore everything to its original state, Ladybug, with a little help from Lt. Raincomprix helped Chat Noir to get out of there. Already outside, she noticed a good number of ambulances. The officers had called for them, so they would have a group of paramedics to check on the heroes. They had had their butts kicked by Hawk Moth, and though they would not like to admit it in public, they were not proud of letting themselves be beaten by their enemy, who managed to mop up the floor with them. With the exception of Ladybug, none of the others knew what had happened. The last thing they remembered was to have been attacked by Hawk Moth, and then waking up with one or various police officers checking on them to see if they were still breathing. Rena Rouge and Forest Doe, who had stayed behind to get rid of all of the Akuma butterflies inside of all the people who had been akumatized and turned into Pawns, arrived shortly after, worried about their friends.

As she was examined by one of the paramedics, who kept telling her that she looked okay, Ladybug kept asking herself why Hawk Moth retreated when he was about to win?

"There has to be a reason why he did that. He's not the kind of person who would relinquish a victory." -Ladybug thought to herself. –"Still, whatever that reason was… ouch!"

"Sorry, but this will sting a little." -the paramedic said, as he tried to disinfect a cut she had in her cheek.

The heroine still tried to tell the paramedic that there was no need for that, and that their healing factor would take care of putting them as good as new in no time, but decided not to. After all, who was she to prevent them from doing their job. Plus, that way they could also say that on that night, they also helped.

"There, you're all good to go." -the paramedic said, as he applied a little bandage on the cut.

"Thanks." -Ladybug said, as she got up and went to see Chat, who was being checked on another ambulance for possible head trauma. -"How's it going, kitty-cat?" -she mildly flirted with him.

"My head feels several sizes too big… but other than that, I'm fine." -Chat said, as the female paramedic checked his pupils with a pocket flashlight.

"Follow the light… follow it." -she said, as he followed it the bright little dot with his eyes. –"Okay, how many fingers am I holding?" -she asked him, while holding three fingers.

"Three." -Chat answered her.

"And what's your name?" -the paramedic asked him.

"Chat Noir." -Chat grinned. Something inside him felt that the paramedic had only asked him his name, so she could trick him to tell her his real name.

"Alright, I guess that other than a nasty bump on the head, you're okay to go." -she smiled.

The others were also examined for any possible injuries. But just like Ladybug thought to herself, their healing factor had already kicked in and in about half an hour the only things they would still have were a couple of bruises and a great amount of soring muscles. All the while, the citizens of Paris were cheering the heroes' names, thanking them for once again saving the city, and for making sure that Hawk Moth did not win.

"You're hearing that? They love me." -Antelope smirked to Dragonfly.

"Don't you mean us?" -Dragonfly asked him in a sarcastic tone, while rising her eyebrow. She then turned her attention to one of the paramedics that had been examining them both. –"Sorry to ask you this, but you don't happen to have anything to deflate someone's ego, do you? Because this guy really needs it."

"Sorry, but no." -the paramedic answered her in a playful tone.

"What do you mean deflate?! There's nothing wrong with my ego!" -Antelope told her.

"Nothing wrong?!" -Dragonfly laughed. –"You got an ego so big, that if there was a way to use it to power-up this city, yours would be enough to power up the city for years to come!" -she shot at him.

"She does have a point, Antelope. Your ego is the size of the Moon." -Corbeau Noire told him, as she and Flamingo approached the ambulance he and Dragonfly were being examined.

"I do not!" -Antelope exclaimed.

"Yes, you do." -Flamingo giggled, much to his annoyance.

One by one, every last one of the heroes was given a clean bill of health. Thanking the numerous paramedics, these did not resist in asking them to take a couple of selfies, so they had a memento of that night. The heroes, of course, did not refuse such request, not only because they felt that the paramedics deserved it, after taking care of them, but because they had already gotten used to people asking them to do that.

"Okay, let's try and get everyone in this photo." -Rena Rouge said, as she squeezed herself between Carapace and Arachnid. –"Alright, I think we're good to go. Everyone say Cheese!" -she said, as the photo was snapped.

One photo taken, a few more followed. Suddenly, from the crowd, surrounded by a few bodyguards, came Mayor Bourgeois to congratulate them on a job well done. This was the very first time the Mayor would have the honour of congratulating them in person, given the other times they showed up, he was not present. Approaching them, he made sure to thank the leader of the team, Ladybug, first. All the while, several photographers that were accompanying him

"On behalf of the city of Paris, let me congratulate you and thank you for the swell job you did protecting it and its citizens." -Mayor Bourgeois told her, as he gently shook her hand. –"I know that you're probably used to hearing this all the time, but if it had not been for you and your fellow friends, who stood up against that terrorist who endangered everyone that was here tonight… I don't even want to think about on what could have happened." -he went on.

Mayor Bourgeois went on with his speech, as he thanked personally to each one of them. On more than one time, they all wanted to interrupt him and correct him on the fact that he should stop calling Hawk Moth a terrorist, and instead call him for what he truly was, a psychopath with definite Napoleon/Hitler/Voldemort tendencies. But, they all just let it pass. That was not important right then. What was important was them transmitting the message that though the Halloween Parade became a disaster, in the end everything turned out for the best, and that was all that really mattered.

"T-Thank you, mister Mayor. But truth be told, tonight we weren't the only heroes. The police force also did an amazing work. In fact, myself and Chat Noir, probably wouldn't even be here if Lt. Raincomprix over there hadn't risked his own life to prevent Hawk Moth from attacking us."

"Is that so?" -Mayor Bourgeois asked them, surprised. –"Well, you have my word, that I'll be sure to congratulate him as well, and make sure that he's commended for his bravery." -he declared.

Hearing him say that, Louve Grise smiled. She was happy that her father had been the hero of the hour, and that everyone was going to know it. She knew just how much he loved his job, and it felt good to know that he was going to be commended. The redhead could already hear him telling her and her mom that he was going to be awarded a medal because of it.

" _Dad deserves it._ " -Louve Grise thought to herself. Her only wish was to go and give him a hug, telling him that she was proud to be his daughter. Bur, of course, that would not happen, at least not while she was there in her superhero outfit.

After a few more praising words, Ladybug felt that it was time for them to split. They had had enough for one night, and the next day they had school. Plus, if she herself did not get home soon, she would be in trouble.

"Well, since everything here is fine now, I think it's time we go." -the scarlet heroine told the Mayor. She was sure that the Halloween Parade was going to end there. Most people had run away to avoid Hawk Moth's attack and returned to their homes. The only ones who stayed behind were either the law enforcements and the media, who risked their lives to cover the fight, and the very few brave, and somehow foolish civilians, who wanted to see the fight first hand.

"I understand… but, before you go, could you do me a favour?" -Mayor Bourgeois asked her.

"Yes?" -Ladybug asked, already knowing what the mayor was going to ask her.

"Could you sign an autograph for my daughter Chloé? She's a big fan of yours." -Mayor Bourgeois asked her.

"Sure… you don't happen to have anything I can write with, do you?" -the heroine asked him.

"Uh… well, I…"

"Not to worry. We're always prepared for these things." -Ladybug smiled. –"Panda! Could you draw me a piece of paper and a pen?"

"Coming right up!" -Panda Rouge said, as he began to draw what she asked him. It was not the first Ladybug or any of the others asked him to do that, and he knew it would not be the last. Still, he was cool with it. It was the least he could do for them.

* * *

Once she had given the mayor the autograph, Ladybug told the team to come close. She told them to go home and get some rest and that they would talk about what happened with Hawk Moth in the morning. Silently agreeing with it, they all zipped out of there, each going into a different direction, while the crowd kept cheering for them. Like they always did, they would put a couple of blocks between them and the place where the action took place, before finding a place to change back into their civilian selves.

Doing such a thing, Corbeau Noire and Flamingo found a place to change back into plain old Juleka and Flamingo, and then started walking down the street. Their muscles were screaming in pain from what had happened, but neither one nor the other said anything about it. Juleka had decided to take Rose home, before heading into her own. She decided to do this, not because she felt that Rose would get in trouble on her way home, but because she herself needed a little alone time with her.

"This was a really crazy night." -Juleka said.

"It sure was." -Rose smiled. –"But, luckily everything turned out for the best." -she kept smiling, as she leaned against Juleka, putting her arm around her waist.

"I know. But still… I don't know…" -Juleka said. –"Something tells me that we've had Lady Luck on our side, after we were used as a punching bag, Rose." -the brunette sighed in a serious tone.

"So do I. But, let's not think about that right now." -Rose told her. She did not want to think of how lucky they were that night. She just wanted to savour the company of the girl she loved most in the world. –"I just want to hear your voice and feel safe, okay?" -she smiled to her girlfriend.

Hearing her say that, Juleka still found it weird for Rose to say those words to her. It still felt like a dream where the blonde had accepted her feeling for her, and vice-versa. But it was not just a dream. It was all true.

"I'm so lucky to have a girlfriend like you, Rose." -Juleka smiled, as she planted a kiss on the blonde's forehead, making her giggle.

"Ditto." -Rose giggled, as she and Juleka crossed the street.

"Hey, what about us?!" -a voice was heard from inside of one of the pockets of Rose's parka. It was the voice of her kwami, Flint. –"What about me and Tamara? Shouldn't you both say that you're lucky in having us by your side, and that if it wasn't for us, you would've never been able to save the town?" -he asked her with a grumpy voice. But while he talked, Tamara, who was inside one of the pockets of Juleka's jeans, remained silent. Unlike her fellow kwami, she was not one to complain about such trivial things.

"Of course." -Rose said, as she placed her hand on her pocket to caress the little pink kwami. –"We're also lucky in having you two to help us." -she smiled, as she tickled Flint, making him laugh. –"And when I get home, I'll be sure to get you a special treat."

* * *

When she arrived home, the first thing Alix heard was her parents asking her why she did not pick up her phone, when they called her earlier. They stated that they had called her 15 times, fearing that she might have been hurt, or worse, dead. Tired as she was, the only thing she wanted was to go to bed and get a good night of sleep. But they were not going to let her do that; not before they had their saying on the matter. Telling her to go to the living room, it was there that they

"Why didn't you answer your phone, Alix?!" -Mrs. Kubdel asked her.

"Your mother and I were worried sick!" -Mr. Kubdel told her. –"What did we teach you? Never, ever have your cell phone on silent mode, except, when you're in school!" -he exclaimed. That was the basic rule they had taught her and her brother, and he believed she had broken the rule. The truth was, she did not answer her phone because she was in the middle of a battle to save the city, But, of course, she could not tell them that, without revealing her secret… hers and everyone else. So, she stayed there and listened to the sermon.

"I forgot, okay?!" -Alix exclaimed. –"And besides, I was never in danger. As soon as that started, myself and the rest of my friends, we found shelter in an underground station!" -she lied.

"That doesn't matter, Alix! Your mother and I were worried sick!" -Mr. Kubdel told her. –"Let me ask you this… what would happen, if instead of you being out when that happened, your mother and were the ones out there, and you wanted to know about us?! How would you feel if you couldn't reach us, because we had our phones on silent mode?" -he asked her. –"That's why we created a set of rules to be obeyed by everyone in this house, Alix. You need to be responsible and obey those rules, not only for your own well-being, but for the well-being of everyone in this family, young lady!"

The worst part of all that sermon, was that even her brother Jalil was on their parents' side. He would always stand by her side, but not this time. Deep down in her heart, Alix could not blame him. He was worried sick about her, just like her parents. But at the same time, she felt like she had been betrayed by him. All she wanted to do was yell at them, and tell them the truth. But if she did it, the others would never forgive her for it, and she would never forgive herself for it either. So, she stayed there, and for about 20 minutes, she let them say whatever they want about how she had broken that specific rule, and how she should have told them that she was alright. She kept hearing her father saying, "All it would take was a phone call, Alix, one phone call.". She believed that when the sermon was over, that he would forbid her from going to the Halloween party at school the following day, but this did not happen. When it finally ended, they told her to go to her room and go to sleep, because she had school in the morning. Storming off, she went to her room, locking the door behind her, and then threw herself onto bed.

"Urgh… why can't they just leave me alone?!"

"Is that a rhetorical question, Alix?" -Daria asked her, as he exited from her backpack, where he had hidden after she changed back from Dragonfly.

"You know when I'm being rhetorical, and this isn't one of those times…" -the pink-haired girl sighed in annoyance. –"… so go ahead, and answer it,. I know you're eager to tell me that I'm the one who's wrong and that they're the ones who are right."

Daria did not answer it right away. He waited for her to calm down a little, and only then, did the dragonfly kwami answered her.

"You're not the one who's wrong, Alix." -Daria said, as he landed in front of her face. –"But they're not wrong either. They were worried about you. That's what parents do." -he said.

"Well, I would like for them to stop treating me like I was a little girl! I'm old enough to make my own decisions… besides, I've always been way more responsible than most people my age!" -Alix exclaimed, as she threw her pillow in a fit of rage. –"For crying out loud, I helped saved the city and I got the bruises and aching muscles to prove it! How's that not responsible?!"

"I'm not saying you aren't responsible, Alix." -Daria told her. –"In fact, you are one of the most responsible people I know. You wouldn't have been chosen to hold my miraculous, if you didn't have responsibility as one of your strong points, you know?" -the dragonfly kwami went on. –"But you need to understand that your parents and your brother don't know about this part of your life. And you need to understand that because you can't reveal this part of your life to them, not only for your safety, but theirs as well, you'll be forced to hear some things that you won't like it."

"Well, that doesn't mean I have to like it when they accuse me of something I didn't do!" -Alix said. –"How was I supposed to answer the phone while I was exchanging blows with a psychopath?!"

When she said that, even Daria could not come up with a quick answer to it. It took the kwami a couple of seconds to find the right words to tell her. He knew the wrong ones would only aggravate the situation.

"All I'm saying is that you might have to get used to hearing things you don't like to… at least, until you get out of your parents' house." -Daria said. –"And, you might want to control your temper, because you might say things you don't want to, and end up making things worse. Tonight, you showed you can do that. But, sooner or later, you might lose control, and when that happens, you need to remind yourself that sometimes it's best to stay quiet than, to say something you might regret it, or that can come to haunt you later."

She knew he was right, but that did not make her feel any better. All that he told her was truth, and that made it even more difficult to swallow.

"Forget about it… I'm just going to bed and hope that by tomorrow I'll be feeling a lot calmer." -Alix sighed, annoyed with all that.


	11. It Came from the Shadows

The Halloween Parade had been a tremendous fiasco, all thanks to Hawk Moth. As headed back home to take off his costume and forget that whole evening ever happened, Mayor Bourgeois cursed his luck. Never in the History of that city, had ever a mayor dealt with that kind of troubles, at least, not since the end of World War II. Years earlier, when he ran for mayor of Paris, he knew he would have to deal with a lot of crap, but he never thought that he would have to deal with a terrorist who claimed to be the future ruler of the world, and who spent his free time sending people controlled by him to cause chaos and mayhem in his city.

Still, right then, he just wanted to forget all about it, get home, take that outfit and check on Chloé. Thinking about it, the only good thing that came out of all of that was he being able to get the two autographs his daughter had asked him to get, one from Ladybug and one from Queen Bee.

" _At least Chloé wasn't there when that happened. I'm even afraid of imagining what cold have happened to her, if instead of staying home, she had come with me_." -Mayor Bourgeois thought to himself. –" _The idea of Chloé getting hurt… it's just too much to bare._ " -he went on with his thoughts.

André Bourgeois really believed that his daughter had stayed home because she was sick. But, the truth was, she had not stayed home. She went to the parade as her superhero self, Queen Bee, and ended up saving her dad's life. If it was not for her, he would have ended up hurt by one of Hawk Moth's pawns that attacked him earlier, or, in a worse case scenario, he could have been hurt by one of the akumatized Disney cast members. Not wanting to wait until he got home to hear his sweet daughter's voice, the mayor grabbed his cell phone and called her number. The phone rang twice before Chloé answered it.

"H-Hello?"

"Chloé, honey, were you asleep?" -Mayor Bourgeois asked her. It was not very late, but because she had taken some pills, and could have ended up falling asleep.

"Y-Yeah…" -Chloé lied. She had arrived a couple of minutes before and was now changing into her nightgown, so she could go to sleep.

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey. I just wanted to know if you were better and to hear your voice." -Mayor Bourgeois told her.

"W-Why… (cough)… dad? S-Something happened?" -Chloé asked him, pretending not to know a thing about what happened.

"Oh, it did, but don't worry. I'm safe and everything turned out okay. Ladybug and her hero friends saved the night." -he told her.

"They did?!" -Chloé exclaimed. She herself was relieved that she had been able to save her dad. –"But what happened?!" -she asked him.

"Oh, that Hawk Moth terrorist showed up again and tried to kill everyone." -Maor bourgeois sighted. –"But not to worry, Ladybug and the others stopped him… oh, and Sabrina's dad also helped, from what I was told."

"Really?!... (cough)… Oh, Sabrina's going to nag us all tomorrow with that story, once she… (cough)… finds out." -Chloé said, while keep pretending to be sick. She knew that Sabrina would be talking about how her dad saved the day and their backs, for the next days to come. –"Oh, and dad… I know this is a little selfish… (cough)… but, did you get the…"

"The autographs? Yes, I did honey. One from ladybug and one from Queen Bee, just for you." -Mayor Bourgeois told her. –"I'll give it them to you in the morning. You should go back to sleep now."

"Okay, dad. See you in the morning." –she said as she ended the call.

After eating a light snack, she had ordered, and brushed her teeth, Chloé was ready to go to bed. Pollen herself, had remained silent since they arrived, having been indulging herself in a pot of honey Chloé had given her earlier. After such a long and arduous night, the bee kwami needed to get all her strength back, and there was nothing better to do that than some delicious honey. It was only when Chloé pulled the bedcovers to slide inside her bed that Pollen talked.

"It was sweet of your dad remembering to ask Marinette and you for the autographs." -Pollen told her, as Chloé slipped into her bed and pulled the covers.

"Yeah, it was." -Chloé smiled. –"Too bad the night didn't end up like I, or any of the others hoped it would end." -she sighed.

"I know you were expecting a night where the only thing you would have to worry about was making sure you'd look great on the photos everyone was snapping at you, while you were performing. But hey, on the bright side you saved the town… well, not just you, but you know what I mean." -Pollen told her.

"Agreed… though this bruised eye is taking a little longer to go back to normal than it usually does." -Chloé said, as she gently touched the eye in question. During the fight with hawk Moth, he landed a square punch on her, giving her a black eye. –"Ouch! It usually takes about 30 minutes for something like this to disappear, but today is taking way longer, Pollen."

"Don't you worry about it. You usually get black eyes from either akumatized villains or some of their pawns. Today, Hawk Moth gave you a black eye, and he's way strong than the rest. So, it's only fair that a sustained injury from him take a little longer to be cured. When you wake up in the morning, your eye will be back to normal, you'll see" -the bee kwami told her, as she nuzzled herself in one of Chloé's pillows. Pollen had a little bed that Chloé had given her from one of her old dollhouses, but the little kwami hardly slept in it. She enjoyed sleeping next to her holder.

"If you say so… ouch! This hurts..." -Chloé said, as she tried to open the slightly swallowed eye.

"Don't open it, or touch it. That way it'll take a lot longer for it to disappear." -Pollen warned her.

"Fine, I won't open it or touch it." -Chloé sulked a little. She did not like being told what to do, not even by her kwami. Still, that did not last long, when she decided to ask Pollen something. –"You know, I don't know what happened when Sabrina's dad saved both Marinette and Adrien, but… usually Hawk Moth would have been able to blow him into tiny little bits, right?" -she asked him, while trying to get the image of Lt. Raincomprix being blown up out of her head.

"Usually, yes, I think." -Pollen waved her tiny little head.

"Then, why didn't he do it? And furthermore, how was Sabrina's dad able to hurt him? I know we're not supposed to be bulletproof, but I didn't know Hawk Moth wasn't either. I mean, he kept saying that he was superior to all of us. Plus, after giving us that beating, he proved that he could literally wipe the floor with anyone he wanted." -Chloé said.

"I don't know… but, even his powers aren't limitless." -Pollen told her. –"Maybe he just exhausted himself, and Sabrina's dad was lucky."

"Maybe…" -Chloé said, though she was not fully convinced. Something had happened to Hawk Moth that night, something that prevented him from kill them all and taking their miraculouses. There was no doubt about it. The only question was, that could have caused that?

* * *

Upon fleeing the scene, Hawk Moth, still in his butterfly swarm form, looked for a place where he could regain some of his strength back, as well as understanding what happened back there. At first, he felt that he should return to his hideout, but that required him to use much of his energy, so he could teleport to it, and he was feeling pretty weak. Flying over the Seine, the villain made his way to the Notre-Dame Cathedral. In a move worthy of Quasimodo, the bell-ringer of Notre-Dame in Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Hawk Moth decided that the perfect place to hide and get some of his strength back, was the cathedral's bell tower. The place was dusty and filled with cobwebs, but he did not mind. He needed to rest, and he was sure that no one would ever dreamed that he was hiding there. Once inside, he returned to his human appearance, and dropped both Reptile and Madame Romani on the ground. The two remained unconscious, and that was fine with Hawk Moth. Right then, he was not in the mood to hear either one of them, who would not waste time in trying to come up with some feeble excuse to explain their failure.

Massaging his arm where the bullet hit him, he could still feel the burning sensation the bullet left. As he did this, he tried to think on why his powers suddenly failed him, when he was mere moments from his victory. As minutes went by, this thought consumed his attention, not letting him think about anything else.

" _I don't understand… why? Why have my powers suddenly disappeared?_ " -Hawk Moth asked himself. –" _There has to be a reason, but which one? During the battle against Ladybug and Chat Noir I used my powers', and everything was fine. I nearly even kill them. Then, when I was about to finish them, Antelope and Grizzly Bear showed up, carrying those two idiots there, and a little later the rest of the team also showed up… that's when I had to use my full strength to take them down._ " -he went on with his train of thought. –" _I exerted myself to defeat them and…_ "

And that was when it hit him. To defeat the Miraculous Team, he was forced to make use of all his strength and to employ attacks that he had not employed in a very long time. By doing it, he exhausted himself and his powers too quickly for them to be recharged.

" _Of course… I exceeded myself, and by doing it, I did not give my body the time to recharge._ " -Hawk Moth thought to himself. –" _Plus, I used my powers to create that swarm of Akuma butterflies, and I gave those two idiots part of my powers before we left the hideout._ " -he thought. –" _That was just one of the many mistakes I did tonight. Though my powers are as strong as they were when I first possessed this body, having been turned to stone for all these years, has left me out of practice. I'll need more time to get my full strength back._ "

Suddenly, a ruffing pigeon startled him, when it flew from its nest. Already enraged with himself, he lashed out his rage against the innocent bird, reducing it to ashes with a small energy blast. This finally woke up both Madame Romani and Reptile, who were feeling rather dizzy. Taking a short while to understand what had happened, and where they were, they failed to realize their master was hurt right away. But, when they did, they were shocked to see that happening. They saw the bloody spot on his sleeve, and immediately reacted to it.

"Master… you're hurt!" -Reptile exclaimed.

"I'm fine!" -Hawk Moth snapped at him, as he kept massaging the place where the bullet had hit him.

"B-But, master, how could this be?! Who hurt you?!" -Madame Romani asked him.

"That's not of your concern!" -Hawk Moth glared at the gypsy woman. –"Instead of concerning yourselves with me, you should be concerning yourselves with the fact that you were once again defeated by two kids!"

Reptile was about to say something, but refrained himself. He knew that whatever he said, it would not appease Hawk Moth's rage right then, so the best thing for him to do was to remain silent.

"You two have failed me yet again, even after I gave you a small part of my power!" -Hawk Moth continued to rage at them. –"I should punish you right now for your failure!"

Hearing that, the two villains cowered in fear. They knew that whatever punishment Hawk Moth had in store for the two of them, they were not going to enjoy it. But, to their surprise, nothing happened. Their master had decided not to punish them right then. The villain wanted to do it, but knowing that he was still very weak, he agreed to himself that their punishment could be postponed for a little later, when he felt himself stronger. Right then, he needed to be alone with his thoughts, and the last thing he needed, was his two lieutenants coming up with excuses for their failures.

"Go away! Get back to the hideout, and await my return there." -Hawk Moth ordered them both, without taking his eyes off the horizon.

"But, master Hawk Moth, sir. Shouldn't we…" -Madame Romani said, only to be interrupted by his master, who raised his hand to silence him.

"I gave you an order! Obey it!" -Hawk Moth yelled at the gypsy.

"B-But how are we going to…" -Reptile said, only to stop himself from talking. He was going to ask Hawk Moth how he expected him and Madame Romani to get out of that place and head back to the hideout. –"N-Never mind, master. We'll find our way back to the hideout. Y-You don't have to worry about that."

As they left, the bells rang, startling them, while also filling the air with its almost melodic tune. This time, Hawk Moth was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he hardly noticed the bells ringing. All he could think about… all it mattered to him, was to understand why his powers failed him, and he was beginning to fully understand why that happened. Instead of using them the way he did, by creating Akuma butterflies and giving part of that power to his lieutenants, he should have kept it all to himself.

" _It's so simple, that I should have thought about it in the first place!_ " -Hawk Moth cursed himself. –" _If I hadn't done the things I did, maybe, just maybe, my powers wouldn't have had failed me when they did… and that way, I wouldn't have been hurt by that idiot, and I would have caught the miraculouses and destroyed them!_ " -he thought, as he punched the wooden floor, breaking it.

The rage inside Hawk Moth was like a fire that was out of control. No matter how much he tried, he just could not get it under control. And as his rage grew, so did his powers, that were slowly coming back. Little by little, he felt like his old self. The first thing he did, once he had fully recovered his powers was to use them to make the blood stain on his jacket and the hole from the bullet disappear.

" _But, this was just a battle… the real war is yet to come._ " -Hawk Moth told himself.

Like every good strategist, the evil Hawk Moth had a plan B, in case his first plan failed. He had learnt a long time ago, that no matter how certain or sure a victory could be, a good strategist must have always one backup plan, at least. And in his case, he had more than just one… but, on that night, he would just need one of them, and he knew just where he had to go to put that plan B into motion.

* * *

When the Halloween Parade was interrupted and cancelled because of Hawk Moth's attack, the floats that had been either commissioned for the show or lent by Disneyland were all taken back to the warehouse from where they had exited earlier that night. As they put them inside, they did not know what was to become of them. They did not know if they were going to use them again, or if the Disney floats were going to be returned to the amusement park the next day, or if city hall had plans to make a new parade, and thus, ask Disneyland for an extended loan of the said floats. The truth was, as the security guards locked the place, they asked themselves if at least the floats that had been commissioned for that parade were now going to stay in that warehouse gaining dust and cobwebs, becoming nothing more than a waste of the tax-payers' money.

"What do you think it will happen Philippe?" -one of the security guards asked the other.

"Honestly, I have no idea, Louis. But then again, it's not our job to ask ourselves what will become of those things. We're just paid to guard them, until the mayor or someone else in city hall decides what do next." -the other answered.

"And you're right about it. Still, it's a shame what happened tonight. Some of those floats looked amazing."

The hours went by and silence invaded the warehouse. It was so silent that if one would stay in the middle of it, with its ears open, it could hear the mice running around, the water moving in the pipes, and even the floats creaking ever so gently, due to the stress on their structure. Yes, one could hear all those things in that silence, if it just paid attention to the noise those things made. One such noise that was not supposed to be heard inside the warehouse was the noise of flapping wings. If one was in that warehouse, just before the Sun rose in the horizon, it would hear that very same noise in the air. But this noise was not done by birds… no, this noise was done by a slightly less noble creature to the eyes of people. It was done by butterflies… black butterflies. Entering through one of the warehouse fans in his black butterfly swarm form, Hawk Moth went to the middle of the warehouse, where he reassembled himself. The first thing he felt was that the air was musty, as if some wet dog had was around there.

Before he attacked the parade, Hawk Moth sent both Reptile and Madame Romani to find out everything about the event and report to him. One piece of information Reptile had brought him was the location of the warehouse where the floats had been stored in, until it was time for them to be used in the parade. Knowing this, he knew that was the perfect place to find what he needed for his next plan. Though he was still recuperating physically from his wound, the villain had regained his powers in full, and he had decided to use them to do what he did best, to create an akuma to do his bidding. The truth was, Hawk Moth did not mind dirtying his hands to get the work done, if necessary. He wanted to go up against the Miraculous Team himself, and give them another beating, but he knew that because he was not fully recovered, that could endanger his victory. Instead, he would delegate that task to an akuma… a powerful akuma that would embody both his power and rage against the Miraculous Team, as well as the dark magic that Halloween granted him. Looking around, he knew that there would be at least one object or prop there that would make a fine akuma. All of the floats had things screaming to bear an Akuma butterfly, but Hawk Moth knew that he could not just pick the first one he saw. This akuma would be a special one, because it would be the most powerful one created by him, ever since he had come back to life. This new akuma was going to make Gargantua and its power of destruction look like a child's play.

Every prop, every giant figure in the floats looked perfect for the job, but it was not until he stopped in front of the Halloween Regal float, that he found exactly what he was looking for.

" _Yes, this is exactly what I was looking for._ " -Hawk Moth thought to himself.

Standing on top of the float, there was giant scary-looking skeleton with bright red eyes and pointy teeth, its long arms extending, while his fingers looked more like talons. The whole thing looked creepy and menacing. Just what Hawk Moth was looking for.

"You'll make a magnificent akuma, my friend." -Hawk Moth smirked.

Focusing his energy on his left hand, he made an Akuma butterfly appear in it. But this one was different from the other Akuma butterflies. The ones Hawk Moth usually created were black with faint shades of purple in their wings. This one was crimson-red and it had faint shades of black in its wings. Plus, it was a lot bigger, almost twice the size of a regular Akuma butterfly. This was because Hawk Moth had concentrated all his power and all his rage for the Miraculous Team in creating it.

"Now, my little Akuma butterfly, go and bring our skeleton friend to life." -he smiled, as he released the diabolical creature from his hand.

Flapping its wings, the Akuma butterfly made its way to the top of the float, landing ever so gently on top of the skeleton's head, being absorbed by it, instantly. In front of the villains' eyes, the whole statue came to life. Little by little, it began to move, freeing itself from the position it was, as well as the rivets that held it to the float. Then, it started to change shape, becoming smaller and smaller, until it was only double the size of a regular person. A black cloak, like the one the Grim Reaper was usually depicted covered his skeletal body, though this one more worn out and ripped. Its eyes, once red, were now glowing green, and two rows of sharp teeth completed its new visage. As a last detail, in his felt hand he held a glowing red orb, which seemed to have a mind of its own. Looking down, he saw Hawk Moth staring at him, smirking evilly. Knowing who he was, the new akuma came down the float, and as he approached Hawk Moth, he kneeled, bowing his head in reverence.

"My master." -the akuma said. Its voice sounded like the voice of an old man, who had smoked two packs of cigarettes every single day, since he was 20. Still, despite this trait, its voice was creepy, causing one to shiver.

"Good evening, my akuma. From this moment on, you will be named Spectrum, and you will do my bidding." -Hawk Moth told him.

"Whatever your orders are, I will do as you order me, master Hawk Moth." -Spectrum told him.

"My orders are simple. I want you to get me Ladybug0s miraculous, as well as the rest of the miraculouses from her friends, so I can destroy them." -Hawk Moth told him. –"But that's not all. I've created you, my most powerful akuma to use your dark powers to make sure that Halloween never ends. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes, master Hawk Moth. I understand." -Spectrum answered him.

"Good. If you do well, you will be rewarded." -Hawk Moth declared. –"Now, go and fulfil your mission."

Obeying him, Spectrum turned himself into a shadow and disappeared in front of his eyes. Smiling maliciously, Hawk Moth knew that he would not disappoint him. Though he had failed that night to destroy the Miraculous Team and their miraculouses, he knew that Spectrum would not fail him.

* * *

On the next morning at school, just like in the rest of Paris, the only thing that people were talking about was what happened at the Halloween Parade the previous night. There was not a single newspaper where they had not written at least a article regarding it, a news channel that had not reported what happened, a blog or a forum where this was being discussed. There was no way to escape that subject that morning. All the students, and even the teachers were all talking about. And Miss Bustier's class wasted no time in talking about it, while giving the finishing touches on that party's decorations. But unlike their colleagues, they were talking about something that no one else knew… that they had not defeated Hawk Moth, and that instead, he had fled. The reason why he had fled, was what they were talking among themselves.

"I still don't know why he just fled." -Nino said.

"Well, you guys already know my theory. I know it's not a full proof theory, but given that we know so very little about Hawk Moth him, except for what Master Fu told us, it's a decent theory." -Marinette said.

"Yeah, but your theory still doesn't answer why he was stronger and we aren't." -Sabrina said.

"Maybe it has something to do with him being evil, and us being good. Maybe he gets stronger because the spirits that cross to our world during Halloween are mostly evil?" -Sabrina suggested.

"It's a good theory as any other." -Alya waved her head.

"Maybe we should ask Master Fu regarding that." -Rose suggested them.

"Nah, let's not worry the old man. It doesn't matter if he looked stronger or not. It all ended with him fleeing with his tail between his legs." -Kim said. –"Besides, I doubt that Hawk Moth will dare show his ugly mug again for the next couple of weeks." -he said with a confident voice.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." -Adrien declared. –"Remember, tonight's Halloween, and if Marinette's theory is right, then, his powers will be the strongest tonight."

Hearing him say that, Marinette could not help but to blush lightly. She loved when Adrien talked about her, even if it was just for a little bit. Alya giggled to herself, seeing the dumb look on her friend's face, as she started to daydream about her crush. Still, her daydreaming did not last very much, for shortly after Mylene called her name, bringing her back to reality.

"Marinette? Marinette did you hear me?"

"Uh… sorry, you were saying, Mylene?"

"I asked you if you could hand me those scissors over there?" -Mylene asked her.

"Oh, sure! Hold on." -Marinette said, as she grabbed the scissors and handed them to her.

"The best thing to do is stay alert, and hope that that guy doesn't show up to ruin the night." -Ivan declared to the rest of the gang.

"And who might that guy be, Monsieur Bruel? I hope you're not talking about me." -a voice chuckled.

Turning around, the person who had talked was Mr. Damocles, the school's principal. Smiling, the man looked rather impressed by what Miss Bustier's class efforts in making the best Halloween party that school had ever seen.

"G-Good morning, principal Damocles." -Ivan stuttered lightly. –"Uh, no, we were not talking about you, believe me."

"Y-Yeah, we were talking about a guy we know who loves to come to parties and crash them." -Max lied, trying to help Ivan, who he saw needed a little hand dealing with that light interrogatory.

"Y-Yes." -Ivan quickly asserted.

"Well, if that's the case, I hope I don't see him around, whoever he might be." -Principal Damocles smiled. –"I just passed by to see how are things going. Have you already finished your part of the decorations?"

"Almost, sir." -Juleka said. –"We're nearly finished."

"Well, then don't let me prevent you from finishing." -Principal Damocles smiled. –"Oh, and remember, as the class who came up with the theme for this year's party, you will have to give a small speech to the rest of the school. I take it you have that party already worked out, just as you have your outfits chosen, I hope."

"Yes, sir." -Alya lied. She had completely forgot about the speech, and she was sure the others had also forgotten about it as well. They would have to come up with something in the next couple of hours, or improvise when the time came.

"What about you, sir? What are you coming dressed as?" -Adrien asked him.

"Me? Well, I'll be coming as the Greek philosopher, Socrates, of course." -Principal Damocles. –"To know, is to know that you know nothing." -he quoted the philosopher as he walked away.

As he walked away, the whole class could not help but to laugh a little. Principal Damocles could be the school's principal, but as they saw it, instead of becoming a teacher, he should have tried his luck as an actor.

"Didn't he come as Socrates two years ago?" -Nino asked

"No. Two years ago, he came as Leonardo daVinci." -Alya told him.

"Principal Damocles loves to dress up as historical figures." -Alix said.

"By the way, what are you guys going to wear tonight?" -Chloé asked them, curious, though she was just trying to come up with a way to tell everyone what her outfit was going to be."

Everyone had chosen such diverse outfits that there was no way for any of them to be seen together in any place, except a Halloween party or a Comic-Con. The only one who had not chosen an outfit had been Marinette. She had been so busy with Manon's outfit, that she completely forgot about getting one for her.

"I guess I'll just have to go and buy one this afternoon." -Marinette sighed. –"But I can almost guess that the best ones have already been sold." -she said

"Why don't you come as Ladybug?" -Mylene suggested her. –"This is probably the only day in the year where you can wear your outfit and say who you really are, without fearing of people finding your true identity."

The idea was not half-bad. But, she was not too keen on it. The idea of the others all coming in awesome outfits, which she was almost certain, no one else would be wearing, and she coming in her superhero outfit, alone, just by herself, it was not something she was really enthusiastic about.

"I don't know… I bet that there are going to be many Ladybugs at the party tonight." -Marinette said. –"Besides, it wouldn't be fun to be just me wearing the outfit alone. I would be just another Ladybug, even though I'm the real one." -she said.

"Well, I wouldn't mind coming as Chat Noir, if that would make you reconsider that idea." -Adrien smiled at her. –"That way you wouldn't be the only with numerous other people wearing the same outfit." -he chuckled.

When he said that, Marinette blushed once again. Just thinking that Adrien would come as Chat Noir, so she would not be the only one wearing a massive copied outfit, it made the blue-haired girl heart jump out of joy.

"You would do that?" -Marinette asked him.

"Of course." -he smiled

But, turned out, Adrien was not the only one who would be willing to come in his superhero outfit. Alya also told her that she would not mind leaving her Miss Martian outfit to be worn some other time. In a matter of seconds, everyone began to have second doubts about whether to wear the outfits they had bought or made for the occasion, or to wear their superhero outfits and come to the party as a team. There was a bit of reluctance from some of them initially, because they were afraid that someone at the party could make the connection and identify them as the real deal. But in the end, they all agreed to come wearing their superhero outfits.

"Our kwamis aren't going to like this." -Juleka said. She knew that even though Tamara would not say a thing, she would want to come to the party with her.

"Oh, if we give them a huge amount of candy before we come to the party, they won't mind, you'll see." -Mylene smiled.

"Then, it's settled. We're all coming as our upgraded selves." -Max declared.

"Alright… and, if you guys don't mind, I'll write the speech for us to say tonight. We'll chose who will read it to the whole school at the time." -Alya volunteered, with all of them waving their heads in agreement. They knew that Alya had a knack for writing, so she would come up with a great speech.

"Let me just say this, guys… we're going to make the house come down." -Nino said. When he said that, the others looked at him and wondered why he said that. –"Don't worry. When the time comes, you'll see what I just come up with." -he smiled.

* * *

Paris was known for its numerous landmarks. One of such landmarks could not be seen, if one's walking on the surface. The landmark that one cannot see is the catacombs. To most people, when you talked about catacombs, the first thought that came to their minds was bones, human bones. And no wonder that was their first thought. The catacombs were basically a giant ossuary, where the bones of the dead rested. The place had been built to consolidate the ancient Paris stone mines, as well as to deal with the overflowing cemeteries at the time. Nowadays, it was a popular tourist attraction, and on that Halloween afternoon, it was about to receive a very special group of people. Every year, a selected group of people was chosen to take part in a Halloween party in the catacombs. And that year was not going to be an exception. Everything had been assembled over the previous three days, and the only thing left was for the guests to arrive.

But, these would not arrive for a couple of hours, and the only ones inside was the team in charge with the party, the DJ and some of the catering staff. And when they arrived, they would have a nasty surprise awaiting them. All those that were in that specific part of the catacombs were taken by surprise by Hawk Moth's latest akuma, who upon seeing them, used his powers to turn them into stone. Spectrum, whom the villain had named was no ordinary akuma. Aside from being created by Hawk Moth as the most powerful akuma he had created since he came back to life, Spectrum was imbued with the powers of every creature associated with the holiday. To start the mission that his master had given him, he was going to need an army to shake things a little. And to do that, he had chosen the catacombs to assemble that army. With hundreds of thousands of people buried there, all he had to do was to bring them back to life. Using his orb, he produced a green energy wave that swept the whole place. Almost instantly, the bones in the walls started to move. Slowly at first, and then faster and faster, they ripped themselves from where they had been placed.

"Yes, rise my skeletal brothers and sisters. On this night, you and I will make this city ours!" -Spectrum exclaimed; his voice echoing over the place, mixed with the sound of bones bumping into one another. –" _Soon, this army will rise above ground and then, things will start to get interesting. Hawk Moth wants the miraculouses, then I'll give them to him._ " -he thought to himself, as he watched the skeletons assembling themselves.


	12. This is Halloween

As the Sun set in the horizon, bringing that day to an end, Paris prepared itself for a night that many would say belonged to creatures that were not of this world. In fact, if there was someone whom the night belonged to was Hecate, the Greek goddess of magic, sorcery, witchcraft, necromancy, ghosts, death, fire, light, crossroads, childbirth, wilderness, night, and the Moon. But, on that particular night, many associated Samhain, the spirt of Halloween to it, so Hecate was temporarily relegated into the background. Halloween belonged to Samhain.

As the stores closed, and people raced homes to be with their families and friends on that spooky night, already were lots of kids on the streets, dressed up as their favourite characters to go trick or treating, always accompanied either by their parents, their grandparents or by an aunt or an uncle, and in some cases, an older brother or sister. The kids mission was to have fun on that night and collect as much candy as they could, so it would last them until Christmas at least. As the kids roamed the streets, the chilly wind made both the trees shake, and the fallen leaves to dance in whirlwinds, as if they had a mind of their own. There was not a single street in the centre of Paris that did not have at least one Jack O'Lantern lit in each building's doorstep, keeping up the tradition for both decorative reasons, as well as a more spiritual reason, for according to tradition, it was costuming to create those lanterns to signal the evil spirits that roamed the land on that night, that they were not welcomed there. This only contributed to give the whole night of Halloween an even spookier and more mystical feeling.

And, just like every other family who celebrated Halloween, the Dupain-Chengs had also spruced up their home, both inside and out. Tom Dupain And Sabine Cheng had already decorated the bakery earlier that week, but only on the 31st did they decorated the outside of the bakery, as well as the doorstep of their house. Later that night they would be handing candy to every little boy and girl that came ringing at their door. But first, they both had to take little Manon trick or treating. And while the two of them put on their costumes for the night, Marinette helped Manon put on her costume.

It had taken her a little longer than she initially thought to sew her old costume to fit Manon, but in the end, it came out even better than she had expected. Giggles and laughs filled Marinette's room, as the blue-haired girl helped Manon with her costume.

"Try to stand still, Manon." -Marinette told her. –"You want to look pretty and scary, don't you?"

"Yes." -Manon answered her.

"There, it's done." -Marinette took a step back to admire her own work, and to also see if Manon looked okay in the costume. –"I'm not one to brag, but I think you look perfect, Manon." -she giggled. –"All we need now is to put you the wig. But first, let's put some make-up on you."

"Make-up, yeah!" -Manon exclaimed, as Marinette went to get the inks she needed.

With a steady hand, and a little help from Tikki, who kept Manon calm by telling her a story, so she would stand still for Marinette, the blue-haired girl, gave the little girl a paintjob that would put to shame some make-up artists. The black mask over grey skin was a nice touch and gave the little girl a rather unique and quite stunning look. As she placed the black wig on her head, Marinette looked at Manon and told herself that she looked unrecognizable.

"Alright, it's one. You're all set." -Marinette said, smiling with pride, as Manon went to look herself in the mirror. Upon seeing herself, the little girl jumped for joy.

"Thank you, Marinette, thank you!" -Manon kept jumping, while also giggling. Marinette had to ask her not to jump very much, so the wig would not come off.

"You look amazing, Manon." -Tikki chirped, as she hovered in front of the little girl.

"Thank you, Tikki." -Manon said.

"Okay, then turn around so I can take a picture of you in your costume. That way you can show it to your mom when she arrives tomorrow night." -Marinette said, as she grabbed her camera. It had been a present from her parents from her last birthday Although she relied more on her cell phone to take pictures, when the occasion called for it, she would use her camera instead, and right then, the occasion called for it. –"Alright, now, give me a big smile for the camera, Manon."

Pointing the camera at the little girl, Marinette snapped a couple of photos, asking Manon to make either funny faces, or, giving her costume, an evil and wicked face. The little girl asked the blue-haired girl to snap a couple of photos with Tikki, but the little kwmi reminded her that neither or any of the other kwamis appears on photographs or any kind of video footage. This was found by Max, who had used his kwami, Ari, for a couple of experiments, to try to find more about what exactly the kwamis were in scientific terms, and when photographing and recording Ari, discovered that he did not appear on any of the footage had had either taped or photographed.

"I'm sorry, Manon, but you know that she doesn't appear on film." -Marinette

"I know…" -Manon sighed.

"Come on, no sad faces. This is Halloween, you should be smiling. Come on, smile a little more, so I can snap a couple of more pictures of yours." -Marinette insisted, trying to make her smile.

Making her smile, Marinette snapped a couple of more photos, and then, asked Manon to come and sit by her side on the chaise-longue, where she showed them to her, who was happy with the result. To her, there was nothing Marinette could not do perfectly, and it was not just because she was secretly a super-heroine. It was because she was a great babysitter and a great friend to her. Unlike all the other babysitters she had had, who were either too bossy, not fun enough or just treated her like a kid, while not trying to understand her, Marinette treated her as if she was her own age, she was not bossy, and she was incredibly fun. In sum, she was the kind of person, Manon would always want to spend time with.

"So, did you like the photos?" -Marinette asked her, as she flipped through the photos. –"Oh, look, you look really evil on this one!"

"I liked that one, where I'm winking to the camera." -Manon giggled.

"Oh, that's a really good one." -Marinette said, as she flipped back to the one Manon was talking about. –"Tomorrow, I'll print this one, so your mom can put in her wallet." -she smiled.

"For when she misses me, she can see me, right?" -Manon asked her, with her usual innocent voice.

"That's right." -Marinette

"Speaking of time, you should also get ready, Marinette." -Tikki told her, as she looked at the clock. –"It's almost time to go."

"We still got time, Tikki." -Marinette told her. She was only going to transform a little later. –"Besides, you still haven't eaten all the candy and sweets I bought you." -she pointed to the plate filled with liquorice strings, candy corn, gummy bears and bonbons that was on the desk. –"I don't want you to get sad about not having any candy tonight, because of me going as Ladybug to the party."

Tikki had already eaten a few of the sweets in the plate, but she felt that Marinette had gone a little overboard with the amount of sweets she served her. Still, she did not say anything, especially because she liked the candy. She was going to eat all that candy, just not right then.

"But I want to see you transform!" -Manon said. Ever since she found out Marinette's secret, she would try and ask Marinette to transform in front of her, just so she could see it happening. For the little girl, when the blue-haired girl went from plain old Marinette to Paris very own superheroine Ladybug, that was a moment when she knew that magic existed. -Please, Marinette, please!" -she begged her, using her baby-doll eyes.

"Oh, alright. I can't resist those eyes of yours." -Marinette smiled. No matter how much she tried, there was just no way she could resist whenever she used that trick. She could take down an Akuma, without having to think about it, but she could not resist the charms of a little girl. –"Fine, but you better step back a little, sweetie. I'm going to need a little bit of space for this." -she said, as Tikki approached her. –"Alright then, ready, Tikki?"

"You betcha!" -Tikki winked at her.

"Tikki, transforme moi!" -Marinette exclaimed, as the little kwami was sucked into the miraculous earrings.

Once again, by saying those words, Marinette's clothes were replaced by her Ladybug outfit. Watching her transform, Manon applauded. She never got tired of watching that happen. As she put it, it was magical, in every sense of the word. Smiling, the blue-haired heroine looked at Manon, who kept staring at her. Feeling in a mood for a little roleplay, Ladybug wasted no time in trying to have some fun with Manon, while waiting for her mom to come and pick her up.

"Well, then, what do we have here? Are you a new akuma?" -Ladybug asked her.

"Yes! I'm the Puppeteer!" -Manon giggle evilly. She and Marinette had come up with the idea of her dressing up as an akuma, complete with powers and even a silly catchphrase.

"The Puppeteer, you say?!" -Ladybug exclaimed, between giggles. –"You don't scare me! I, Ladybug will defeat you!" -she said, as she placed herself in her usual fighting stance.

"You wish!" -Manon laughed evilly, as she grabbed two puppets that were near her, and pretended that she was controlling them. –"My minions will stop you!"

During those five minutes, both girls played and laughed to their heart's content. One of the good things about Manon knowing Marinette's secret identity, was that when she transformed and began to show off her skills, she did not have to pretend to be someone else for the little girl. When they finished playing, Manon kept laughing, as Marinette grabbed her and held her in her arms. Her body still ached from her fight against Hawk Moth, the night before, but she did not say a word. She did not want Manon to get worried about it.

"That was fun! Especially when you jumped over me like that." -Manon said, referring to when the heroine somersaulted over her head, landing gracefully in front of her.

"Well, I only did that because you were trying to turn me into shreds." -Ladybug giggled, making her also giggle. –"You know what, Manon? I hope you never get akumatized by Hawk Moth. You'd be one tough cookie to defeat."

"You mean it?" -Manon asked her innocently.

"I do." -Ladybug smiled. Just thinking about such a thing, made the girl tremble. Hawk Moth akumatizing Manon or anyone else she cared about, was a terrible thought-. She would have a hard time fighting someone she cared deeply about. But, thinking about it, the chances of any person she cared about being akumatized were very slim, because Hawk Moth and his goons tended to choose people who got mad or furious quite easily. –"But that will never happen, as long as I'm around."

She had just finished saying that, when there was knocking at the door. Ladybug did not have to guess who it was, since she was already expecting it. Wasting no time, she placed Manon on the ground and told her mom to come in.

"I came to see if Manon was ready… whoa, you both look amazing!" -Sabine said, as she entered the room and saw both Manon and Marinette

"Look, who's talking, mom." -Ladybug said, as she looked at her mom's costume. She had chosen to dress up as the Bride of Frankenstein, while Tom had chosen to become Frankenstein on that evening. Sabine looked incredibly beautiful in her costume, though spooky at the same time. The only thing she did not like about her costume was the wig, which she felt was a little too big, and it made her difficult to move her head at will. Still, it was worth it to look like the character. –"You look amazing too."

"Oh, thanks, Marinette. But, I didn't know you were going as Ladybug." -Sabine said, as she approached her daughter. –"Did you make the outfit yourself?"

"No, I bought it. I wanted to make one myself, but fixing this little devil's costume took me longer than I expected." -she told her mother. –"So, I had to go with plan B."

"Well, it's still a very pretty one. You look just like her. Even the mask looks like the one she wears." -Sabine said, as she looked at her daughter, examining the outfit. –"Still, I hope you're not going outside wearing only that. It's cold, so be sure to take a jacket with you." -she told her.

"Don't worry, mom, I'll take one." -Ladybug smiled. If her mother knew that that outfit was magical and acted almost like a second skin, preventing her from feeling any cold, she would not have told her that. Deep down, she was a bit surprised her mother not realizing that her outfit was the real deal, and not a cheap copy that could be bought in every costume store in town. –"Are you going out already?" -she asked her.

"Yes. Your dad is just finishing putting his make-up on. After he's done, we'll be going with Manon trick-or-treating." -Sabine answered her. –"What about you? What time are you going to the party?" -she asked.

"I'll be going in about half an hour or so." -Ladybug told her.

"Well, then remember. I don't want you to stay out all night. Be back, just before midnight, understand?" -Sabine told her.

"Understood, mom. I promise I'll be home a little before midnight." -Ladybug smiled, as she went to the desk and grabbed a piece of candy corn from the plate she had laid for Tikki. She was sure she would not mind if she took one.

"Alright, and before we go, you know that we need to do our usual Halloween tradition." -Sabine said, as she grabbed Manon by the hand.

"You got it."

"What tradition?"

"Oh, right, honey. I forgot that you don't know about this. But, here at home we usually take a family photo with our costumes on, every year." -Sabine said.

"Can I be in it too?" -Manon asked her.

"Of, course you can, silly." -Ladybug said, as she grabbed her camera. –"Let's do it."

* * *

After taking the photo, her parents went out with Manon. As for Ladybug, she waited a little bit longer to go. While waiting, she asked herself if she should use her powers to get to school using the rooftops and her yo-yo, to get there faster, or just walked to it like everyone else? In the end, she decided to walk. That was likely the only night in the year where she could walk on the street in her outfit, without people coming to her for a photograph or an autograph. Walking through the street, she took her time to appreciate the unique sense of freedom. On that night, she was both visible and invisible at the same time, and she did not know how to feel about that.

" _This feels a little weird._ " -Ladybug thought to herself. –" _I'm so used to having people coming towards me, when I'm wearing this suit, that it feels strange to have people ignoring me._ " -she told herself. –" _Still, I like it._ "

As she walked down the streets, she saw several police officers and police vehicles patrolling the streets. That reminded her of the announcement that was made earlier that morning, stating that due to Hawk Moth's attack, to prevent another one, the entire police force, as well as a small army detachment would be providing surveillance to ensure the safety of everyone on the streets. She understood why this was being done. Hawk Moth had managed to scare everyone in Paris the previous night, so it was normal that people would be scared to go out trick or treating with their children, or allowing them to go alone. By having the police and the army patrolling and ensuring everyone's safety, was the right thing to do, so that Halloween night would go without a hitch. When passing by one, she smiled at them, in appreciation for their work.

She passed by several groups of kids, all dressed up in costumes, trick or treating. They were all wearing every conceivable costume there was. Classics like vampires, werewolves, ghosts, mummies, clowns, zombies, among many others. And, of course, newer costumes like Transformers, Batman, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Sailor Moon, Wonder Woman, Pinkie Pie, among many others. And of course, there were also lots of kids wearing costumes from the Miraculous Team. In a matter of minutes, she lost count of how many Ladybugs, Rena Rouges, Grizzly Bears, Chattes Noir, among others, went by her. She smiled, thinking that even though they were always fighting bad guys and monsters, they had somehow managed to become a good influence on the kids and the rest of the people in that city.

She had just crossed the street, when a group of kids exited a building, and among them was a little girl dressed as Ladybug. She must have been 11 years or so, not much younger than herself. Running to get to the next building, the group passed by her, when the little Ladybug fell and dropped her candy. Seeing this, the heroine wasted no time in helping her get up.

"You know, you have to be a little more careful, Ladybug. You don't want to lose your candy, do you?" -Ladybug told the little girl.

"Thank you." -the little girl said, as the heroine handed her bag with candy. –"Hey, are you the real Ladybug?" -she asked her.

"Why do you ask?" -Ladybug asked her.

"Because you look like her." -she told her.

Hearing her say that, the scarlet heroine smiled. Still, not wanting to tell her that she was the real one, she decided to play her a little Halloween prank.

"Nope, I'm not the real one. The real one must be around, also celebrating Halloween." -Ladybug answered her, when she heard the little girl's friends calling her. –"And I think you too should go and celebrate it too. Watch your step, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks, and Happy Halloween!"

"Happy Halloween, little Ladybug." -Ladybug waved at her.

She had just finished waving at her, when she heard a horn. Turning around, she saw a black limousine with its lights on, approaching her. She recognized it as being the limo Adrien usually came, when his bodyguard/driver brought him to school. As the limo parked in front of her, she saw the backseat window coming down, only to reveal a certain black feline smiling at her.

"Need a ride, milady?" -Chat Noir asked her, always grinning at her.

"Ch… Adrien!" -Ladybug exclaimed. For a second there, she almost called him Chat. –"Well, if you're offering, I won't say no." -she said, as he opened the door for her. Upon entering, she saw that he was not alone. Carapace was with him.

"Hey there, Marinette!" -Carapace waved at her.

"Hey, Nino!" -Ladybug said, as she sat next to Chat. It was the first time she entered in his limousine, and she was quite surprised by it. The inside was just like the inside of every limo she had seen in movies. For a second there, she left like she herself had somehow slipped into one of those movies.

"Okay, we can go." -Chat told his bodyguard, after which he closed the divider window, giving the three of them a little privacy, and turned his attention to the heroine. –"Didn't expect to bump into you."

"I could say the same thing for you." -Ladybug told him. –"How did you recognize me? I can't be the only Ladybug on the streets tonight."

"Let's just say that Adrien over there, would recognize you among hundreds of Ladybugs." -Carapace joked. –"As soon as he saw you, he knew it was you." -he told her.

"Really?" -Ladybug giggled. She knew Carapace was just joking, but it felt good to hear those words. Plus, a small part of her hoped that what he said was true and that her crush would actually be able to recognize her among hundreds of other Ladybugs.

"Actually, I recognized you because of your yo-yo." -Chat whispered to her ear. –"So far, you're the only Ladybug who's wearing it the right way." -he whispered at her.

"Really?" -she whispered at him. –"Didn't even notice it."

"Huh, guys? You know I'm not the kind of guy who's always ready to know every little bit of gossip there is, but come on, don't keep me in the dark here." -Carapace joked.

"Oh, he was just telling me that he recognized me because of the way I wear my yo-yo." -Ladybug said.

"That means he's a good a great eye." -Carapace joked, embarrassing Chat a little.

"Come on, Nino, stop that!" -Chat chuckled.

"Hey, I'm just being honest, okay?" -Carapace told him.

"Anyways, are you two ready for the party?" -Ladybug asked them, trying to change the subject. –"I know we were the ones who planned the whole thing, but, I don't know what to expect when we get there."

"We sure are." -Carapace answered her. –"And believe me, whatever happens, with me on the job, you'll at least know that you'll have the right beat to dance." -he told her. He was just itching to get to the party, so he could go and do what he liked doing the most, being a DJ.

"Amen to that. After what happened to me about an hour ago, I got enough adrenaline in me, to dance all night long." -Chat sighed.

"What happened to you?" -Ladybug asked him, curious.

"Oh, yeah, you still haven't told her." -Carapace laughed. –"Oh, believe me, Marinette, you're going to crack yourself up with what happened to Adrien."

"It was no big deal… I mean, it was a big deal, but at the same time it was not." -Chat told her. –"Let me start from the beginning. It started right after I put on this outfit..."

(Flashback)

_Adrien had just said the magic words, and his clothes were replaced by his Chat Noir outfit. As he checked himself in the mirror, in his head, he could still hear Plagg's voice telling him that he had plans that night, and that those plans did not include spending the night inside the miraculous ring, while Adrien had all the fun._

_"_ _Sorry, Plagg, but after last night, I need to relax and have some fun… ouch, but just a little bit, ouch!" -Chat said. Though he had recovered, his body still ached a little bit, especially when he stretched out his arms. –"Okay, note to self, try not to move my arms tonight."_

_Checking the time, he saw it was time for him to go and get Nino before heading to the party. He had already called Nathalie to tell his bodyguard to have the limo ready for him, so all he had to do was go downstairs and go. But first, he had to go and tell his dad that he was going to the party. Smirking, Chat was wondering how his dad allowed him to go to the party in the first place? Usually he would not allow him to go anywhere. But recently, he had begun to give him a little more freedom, something he never did._

_"_ _Maybe he's just giving me some space, so I can have a normal teenage life." -Chat thought to himself. –"That's what mom would want me to have." -he said, once more remembering just how much missed her. But, that was not the time for him to be said. He was going out to celebrate Halloween that night, and with some luck, impress Marinette with some of the dance moves Nino had taught him. –"I just hope she doesn't think I'm a square or anything, when I ask her to dance with me… Oh, come on, you're Chat Noir, man! You got this! It's time to party."_

_Checking himself once again in the mirror, to see if his hair was right, he was ready to go. Heading towards his bedroom door, he was about to open it, when the handle turned, and the door opened, revealing the last person in the world Chat would ever think he would see there. Standing in front of him was a man wearing a purple suit, black shoes and a silver mask around his head, while holding a cane in his hands, and that man was none other than… Hawk Moth._

_"_ _Aaahh! What are you doing here?!" -Chat exclaimed, as he leaped into a fighting stance._

 _"_ _Adrien?" -Hawk Moth asked him. But the voice did not belong to the villain. It belonged to someone else. It belonged to his…_

 _"_ _D-Dad?!" –Chat asked, realizing that it was his dad, and not Hawk Moth, who was standing in front of him. When he realized what had just happened, he felt like in his mind a panic button had just been pressed, blocking his rational thought._

 _"_ _What are you doing?!" -Gabriel Agreste asked his son._

 _"_ _M-Me?! What are you doing in that outfit?" -Chat asked his dad- It was the first thing it came to his mind to ask._

 _"_ _What kind of a question is that? I told you yesterday, this is the outfit I'll be taking to the Halloween party Mayor Bourgeois has invited me to." -Gabriel told him in a neutral voice._

 _"_ _Y-You're going as Hawk Moth?" -Chat asked him, still not believing or remembering that he had told him he was going as his mortal enemy the night before."_

 _"_ _I know, I know, it's not the best choice given what happened yesterday, but it was not my choice." -Gabriel told him. –"This is what happens when I ask another of my assistants to do a chore, instead of asking Nathalie to do it in the first place. Next year, I'm asking her to choose my Halloween costume instead." -he thought to himself. –"And you… I didn't know you were going as Chat Noir."_

 _"_ _Y-Yeah, well… it was a late decision. I couldn't find an outfit that I liked, and well, when I saw it, I told myself that I wouldn't look half-bad wearing it." -Chat told his father._

_"I see." -Gabriel smiled. When he smiled, Chat felt a shiver up his spine. He was not used to see his dad smile, and the fact that he was wearing a Hawk Moth's costume, the whole combination just creeped him out. –"Well, I hope you don't plan on coming home too late."_

_"_ _Uh, no. I know that you told me to come home until 11 p.m., but… well, you see, my friends and I, we were the one who came up with the theme for the party this year, and well, I was wondering… if it would be alright for me to come back home a little later? Let's say, midnight?"_

_Gabriel Agreste was a man who was not used to being contradicted or otherwise challenged. Furthermore, he was a man who once had decided something, would not go back on his word, no matter the context or the situation. And that usually went for his son. Still, lately he had started to be a lot more comprehensive when it came to Adrien. Without realizing it, he had begun to treat him more like his son, and not like he was a robot who had to obey his every command. And that felt good. It felt good to allow him to be himself, and to be with his friends as much as he could, instead of forcing him to stay home like he was a prisoner. Smiling, he answered:_

_"_ _Oh, alright, I guess an extra hour won't do any harm, especially since you don't have school tomorrow." -he said._

 _"_ _Thanks, dad." -Chat said, smiling at him._

(End of flashback)

Upon hearing him tell her the story, Ladybug wondered if what he had told her was not just an episode from the Twilight Zone.

"Your dad… dressed as Hawk Moth…" -Ladybug said. –"Okay, I'm pretty much speechless."

"And after that, we did our Halloween tradition. We took a photo with our costumes on. It's sort of a tradition that was started by when my mom was still alive." -Chat said, trying not to sound nostalgic.

Though calm on the outside, on the inside, when she heard Chat say that, Ladybug almost exploded with joy. She could not believe that he and her shared a tradition, and that just made her feel, even more than before, that he and her were made for each other.

"You don't say?" -Ladybug said, trying to act casually. –"So… that means, that now there's a photo of you alongside Hawk Moth?" -she giggled.

"He won't show it to me." -Carapace declared. –"Maybe you'll get lucky and he'll show it to you."

"Not going to happen." -Chat said. –"It was already surreal enough for me to see my dad wearing that outfit once. I don't think I'll ever be able to look at that photo again, without thinking that I thought for a few seconds that Hawk Moth had found out my real identity and had come to get me."

The mere thought of Hawk Moth finding out their true identities was more than enough to cause them nightmares. If the villain, or any of his stooges ever found out who was behind the masks, that would mean disaster for both the heroes, as well as everyone they knew and cared for. But, with some luck, that would never happen, as long as they were careful.

"Well, if you don't want to talk about it, or show it to us, that's okay with me." -Ladybug told him. –"Oh, look, we're arriving!" -she said.

Outside, there were already several people standing in front of the school's entrance, all dressed in their costumes, ready to enter. Looking through the limo's tinted glass window, Ladybug quickly recognized her best friend Alya in her Rena Rouge outfit, as well as Mylene in her Forest Doe outfit, standing in front of the school's stone ladder. They had all agreed to meet at the school's entrance, and that was what they were doing, waiting for the rest of the gang to show up.

"Alya and Mylene are already here." -Ladybug declared.

"Then, let's join them." -Chat said.

"It's party time, people!" -Carapace exclaimed, as he got ready to exit the limo.

* * *

On the streets, everything was calm. Apart from the cries of happiness from the kids who were trick or treating, there was nothing else to report. After his heroic deed the night before, Lt. Raincomprix had been commended by Mayor Bourgeois, as well as given a raise. On top of all, he and been given Halloween night off, as a reward. Although he had thanked him for the commendation and the raise, he told the mayor that he could not take the night off, knowing that his brothers in arms, even those who had previously been given the night off and were ordered to come to work instead, would be spending that night patrolling the city and making sure that if Hawk Moth dared to show his face, they would be ready to intervene. If his daughter was younger and he had to take care trick or treating, like he did in the past, he would have gladly accepted the night off to go with her. But his little girl was not that young anymore. Sabrina was already old enough not to go trick or treating, and instead, was going to a Halloween party by herself, with her friends. So, there was no real reason for him to take the night off. He would much rather be on patrol, ensuring that everything went alright for everyone, including Sabrina, who would be having fun at the party.

Sitting in the car, he had been assigned a temporary partner, given that his usual partner was at home, sick with a flu. This new partner was a rookie, who had come out of the academy just a few months ago, and he was still green around the gills. His name was Émilien Dufort. So, to help him gain some experience, Roger Raincomprix decided to let him drive the car that night. It had been silent, since they got out of the station. They had just passed by the Palais du Luxembourg, when he decided to break the ice with some friendly conversation.

"First night on the job?"

"No. But it's the first time a senior officer let's me drive the car, sir." -the rookie answered him.

"Please, don't call me that. Just call me by my first name, alright? At least, when it's just the two of us." -Lt. Raincomprix told him.

"Alright, if you insist." -Émilien agreed. –"Oh, and, would you mind if I…"

"Go on, I know that you want to ask me something from the first moment you saw me." -Lt. Raincomprix said.

"Well… then, how… how was it facing that terrorist last night, all by yourself?" -Émilien asked him.

"How was it? I don't know. To be honest, I don't even know how I should feel." -he answered humbly. –"I mean, I just did what I had to do. I'm sure any other police officer who was in my shoes would have fired against him." -he said. –"I don't know if you were expecting something else from me, but… well, that's that."

"Permission to speak freely, lieutenant?"

"Permission granted, although this is not the army and I told you to call me Roger, okay?"

"I just feel that, well, when facing a man like Hawk Moth… I don't think I would've been able to even point my gun at him, let alone shoot him, without, you know, thinking about what he could do to me."

"Of course, you could. And you know why? Because you're a police officer, rookie. You're on the right side of the law, and he isn't. That's what make you, me and every cop in this city better than him. While he wants to destroy and cause pain and suffering, we want to make sure that he doesn't get his way, you know?" -Lt. Raincomprix told him.

"W-What were you thinking when you shot him?" -Émilien asked him.

"What was I thinking? Well, I was thinking about my wife… but mostly, I was thinking about my daughter and how much I love her." -Lt. Raincomprix told him. Seeing as they were about to stop at a red light, he decided to show the rookie a photo of Sabrina he always carried in his wallet. –"This is her, my little Sabrina."

The photo he had on his wallet was one that it had been taken around that time the year before. It showed Sabrina along with Chloé, when the heiress took Sabrina to help her choose a gift for Adrien. Sabrina felt that she had looked so cute in it that she gave it to her dad, so he could put it on his wallet.

"She's cute… and, is that the mayor's daughter?"

"Yes, it is. Sabrina and she are best friends, and they even attend the same class and all." -Lt. Rainscomprix said. –"I… hey, what was that?!" -he asked, as he pointed

A few seconds before, what looked like a post box passed in front of the car, flying through the air. This turned out to be true, when this one landed on top of a parked vehicle, triggering its alarm. Almost after that, something in even more incredible happened. Several skeletons, each one scarier than the one before, and all brandishing weapons that went from pipes to bats and even swords, ran past them, destroying everything they found in their path. The whole thing looked like something out of a horror movie.

"And here I thought this was going to be a quiet night." -Lt. Raincomprix thought to himself, as he exited the car.

"What is that?!" -Émilien asked, not believing his own eyes.

"Trouble, that's what it is! Call dispatch and tell them to send reinforcements to our location!" -Lt. Raincomprix exclaimed. –" _Looks like Hawk Moth doesn't know when to give up._ " -he thought to himself, knowing that was going to be a long night.


	13. Halloween Mood

Manon was having the time of her life. Never she had expected the costume Marinette had done for her to be such a success. While she was going on the street, accompanied by Marinette's parents, there were people who thought she looked adorable and asked to take a photo of her. Manon did not mind people taking photos of her. In fact, she loved having people photographing her, because it made her feel like she was important. And, on every house they knocked to get some candy, people praised her on her costume and on her painted face.

"Trick or treat!" -Manon exclaimed, as an old lady opened the door. She was carrying a bag of candy in her hands.

"Oh, hello there, little one. You have such a beautiful costume. What are you supposed to be? A fairy or maybe a princess?"

"No, I'm an Akuma sent by Hawk Moth to destroy Ladybug!" -Manon said with an evil voice.

This statement made the old woman giggle a little. Every year the kids managed to surprise her with their costumes, and Manon had certainly surprised her, when she told her what her costume really was.

"Oh, that's cute, honey. Here's some candy for you." -the old lady placed two pieces of candy inside Manon's bag of treats.

They had been on that routine for almost an hour now, and Manon had already collected a ton of candy. From simple pieces of butterscotch to salt-water taffy and strings of black liquorish, she had amassed quite the booty. But, her favourites were the chocolates. She knew that the best part of the candy were the chocolates, and she had managed to get several Snickers bars, as well as Twix bars, Almond Joys, and her favourite Three Musketeers. On one of the houses, a lady had given her 2 Three Musketeers because of her costume. After a couple of more houses, and a few more photos taken, Sabine and Tom asked Manon if she was not ready to go home.

"Just a few more houses, please!"

"Oh, but honey, don't you think you already have enough candy?" -Sabine asked her.

"No!" -Manon protested.

"Come on, Manon. Don't you want to go back home and help us give out candy to the other kids? It'll be fun." -Tom said in a playful voice.

"No!" -Manon said. –"Just a few more houses, please!" -she begged to Marinette's parents. She wanted a little more candy, and she knew that with that costume of hers, she was going to get it easily. –"Please, just a few more, and then we can go home."

Worried that the two of them were not going to let her trick or treating a little bit more, she decided to use her secret weapon… her baby-doll eyes. Putting them on, as if she was on the brink of tears, she hoped to convince both Tom and Sabine to take her to a couple of more houses. Usually, that trick did not work with either Tom nor Sabine, but on that night, it worked. Kneeling in front of Manon, Sabine looked her in the eyes and said:

"If we go to a couple of more houses, can we then go home?"

"Yes!" -Manon exclaimed.

"Alright. But just a few more." -Sabine said. –"We wouldn't want the other kids to think that we got all the candy, would we?" -she chuckled.

"No, we wouldn't." -Manon also chuckled, as two police cars passed by them at high speed, with the sirens on.

"I wonder what's going on?"

"I don't know. Probably it's an accident or something of the sorts." -Tom answered. –"But, let's not worry about that. That's the police's job. Out job is to make sure this little girl here gets a few more candy, before calling it a night, isn't that right, Manon?"

"Yeah!" -Manon laughed, as she held hands with Tom.

Going to a few more houses to get candy, Manon got exactly what she wanted, more chocolate bars and candy. She alone had managed to get enough candy in her bag of treats for months to come. And like all kids, she said that she was going to eat all the candy that night, even if that meant getting a huge stomach ache. Of course, Tom and Sabine convinced her to not only eat a piece of candy that night, and save the rest for another occasion. As she checked the bag to see how much candy Manon had amassed, Sabine was shocked to see how many candy bars she had gotten, mostly because of her costume, while lamenting that not one person had given her something a little healthier, like an apple or an orange. When she commented this with Tom, he could not help but to chuckle.

"What did you expect, honey? It's Halloween. Kids don't want fruit, they want candy. I think if anyone tried to hand apples that weren't covered in caramel to the kids, they would tell them to keep them, and then, they would egg the house." -Tom told her.

"Don't be so dramatic. This isn't the United States. Kids don't egg people's houses on Halloween around here." -Sabine told him. –"Plus, it would be nice if people would actually give kids some fruit, and who knows, maybe even a toothbrush? At least, that way they would remember to brush their teeth after eating so much candy." -she said.

"You sound just like a dentist now, honey." -Tom told his wife, making her giggle.

"Hey, look! Skeletons!" -Manon said, as she pointed at a group of skeletons that approached them.

At first, both Tom and Sabine thought that they were just people in masks, but as they closed in on them, they realized they were not wearing any masks; they were real skeletons, and they were armed. Fearing for their safety, Tom told Sabine to grab Manon and follow him. He did not know how it was possible for that to be happening, but something told him that Hawk Moth was behind it. With all the crazy and insane attacks that had been ravaging that city for the past month and half, something like what they were seeing in front of them, had to be the work of that maniac, or someone working for him.

"Don't run, just walk, and maybe they will go the other way." -Tom whispered to Sabine.

But before she could answer him, the group of living skeletons began to bash things as they ran towards them. Shrieking, the one that looked like the leader of the group pointed at the three of them, as if telling them that he wanted them dead or something. Fearing them, Tom and Sabine started running, with Sabine holding Manon against her as hard as she could. They needed a place to hide and escape those monsters, and soon, other people that were on the street and saw the skeletons, started running from them as well. Still, no matter how fast they were, those monsters were faster than them, and were quickly catching up.

"Keep running!" -Tom exclaimed, as he gently grabbed Sabine by the arm and pulled her to the right, as they turned the corner.

Manon, who had her arms wrapped around Sabine knew something was wrong but did not say a word. She hoped that Marinette would just show up and save them as Ladybug. But as the seconds went by, there was no sign of her appearing, and they were running out of time. The skeletons were getting closer and as soon as they caught them, only God knew what they were going to do with them. Starting to feel tired, and seeing no other option, Tom decided there was only thing left to do. He was going to try and face them, and though he knew that he did not stand a chance against those creatures, at least he would buy his wife and Manon some time to get away.

"Keep running and don't look back!" -Tom told Sabine.

"What are you going to do?!" -Sabine asked him

"Going to try and give you a little head's up!" -Tom declared.

"Don't you dare do that! I forbid you, Tom!" -Sabine snapped at her husband.

"Sorry, Sabine, but I'm going to do this."

But before Tom could try and stand up against that sinister bunch, a voice was heard, calling them.

"Over here!" -a voice called them. Manon heard that voice and recognized it. It was Master Fu's voice. –"Come on, get in here before they get you!"

Hearing the old man, Tom and Sabine entered, with Sabine holding Manon, who she thought would be terrified. In reality, she was quite calm and knowing who Master Fu really was, assured her that there was no reason to be afraid. Locking the door, Master Fu, as well as Marinette's parents and Manon could hear the skeletons bashing at the door. Still, Master Fu's magical knowledge had allowed him to place a simple, yet effective charm on the door when he locked it. Those creatures, or anyone else would be able to enter. But, Tom and Sabine did not know that, and were still shanking from what they had seen.

"What were those things?" -Sabine asked.

"What do you mean what were those things? They were skeletons, living skeletons!" -Tom told her, as he tried to catch his breath.

"But skeletons don't just rise form their graves, brandishing weapons to hunt down people, Tom!" -Sabine told him, finding it hard to believe what she had seen.

"Well, those do." -Tom told Sabine.

"I don't know what they were, but one thing is for certain. It is not safe for you or the little one to go outside, right now." -Master Fu told them both. The two of them were so stressed and frightened that for a second, they forgot the old man who had told them to come in, was standing right there, next to them.

"Oh, sorry, with all this, we didn't even have the time to thank you. You saved us." -Tom told him.

"It was the least I could do." -Master Fu said, as he extended his right hand. –"Nice to meet you both, my name is Fu." -the old man said.

"Tom Dupain, and this is my wife, Sabine."

"And I presume the little one is your daughter."

"Oh, no, Manon's not our daughter. She's the daughter of a good friend of mine. We're just babysitting her." -Sabine said, when it hit her. If those creatures attacked them, there could be more of them, and Marinette could be in trouble. –"Tom! Marinette is at the party! What if there are more of them and they try and go there?" -she said, as she placed Manon on the ground, and looked for her cell phone. –"We need to call her and tell her to get home."

Sabine was panicking. Thinking about the possibility of Marinette being attacked by one of those things, or even worse, it made her tremble with fear. Finally finding her cell phone, she was about to dial her daughter's number, when she noticed what was written on the screen: "No Signal"

"Oh no, I've got no signal." -Sabine said.

"I don't have one either." -Tom said, as he checked his cell phone.

"I'd like to say that mine has a signal, but unfortunately, it doesn't, and I don't have any other phone in the house." -Master Fu said, as he also checked his. –"There must be something wrong with the communications."

"Oh, Tom, what if something happens to Marinette?!" -Sabine asked her husband.

"Don't worry, she's a smart girl. You know she can handle herself." -Tom assured her. He himself believed that if Marinette saw herself in trouble, she would find a way to get out of it.

While this happened, Manon remained silent, exchanging silent looks with Master Fu, who recognized her. He had seen Marinette's parents before, but this was the first time he actually met them. Knowing that what was going on was Hawk Moth's doing, he felt the best thing was to act naturally, and let Marinette and the others to deal with it, while he made sure that her parents and Manon remained safe.

"I'm sure that you daughter will be alright. From my experience, I can tell you that teenagers have a way to surpass their parents' expectations." -Master Fu said. –"She will be alright, I'm sure."

"Yeah, and Ladybug will save her and the say!" -Manon said.

"The little one might be right about it. So far, the scarlet heroine and her friends haven't left this city down yet." -Master Fu agreed. –"And since we can't go out or call the police to help us, I think the only thing we can do is wait. Would you like a cup of tea? It will always helps calm my nerves." -he told the couple.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Halloween party in Collége François-Dupond, things were starting to heat up. The music was already playing, though the DJ still had to get behind the turn-tables. The ambience was amazing, as all the students entered the gymnasium turned ballroom. The performers that were hired by Chloé's dad were cheering up things by performing their roles of vampire hosts, inviting the students to mingle with them. Just like Marinette had predicted, there were several students wearing Ladybug costumes in the party, although you could also see many other students wearing costumes from the other members of the Miraculous Team. Some looking simpler, while others looked like exact copies to the originals. And of course, there were numerous students sporting other costumes. There were pirates, vampires, witches, devils, even soccer players and girls dressed like Kim and Chloé Kardashian. If there was a costume worth seeing at a Halloween party, it was being worn by at least one student. But the students were not the only ones dressed up for the occasion. The teachers had also chosen to bring some interesting costumes. For example, Principal Damocles had come as the Greek Philosopher Socrates. Miss Mendeleiev had come as Marie Curie, and Mr. Dagencourt had come as Dartagnan. As for Miss Bustier, she had come with a very curious, and beautiful costume, a genderbend version of Sherlock Holmes, her favourite Victorian literary character. The four of them, along with the rest of the teachers stayed at the gym's entrance for a short period, welcoming the students that arrived.

When Ladybug and the rest of her class entered the gym, almost everyone were surprised to see them, mostly because they had somehow managed to pick the outfits in order to all come together as a costumed group. Some people would call that coincidence, others would call it a well-planned idea. Whatever it was, they were impressed by the outfits and by the idea. It took them a little to understand it was them, and it was only when Carapace announced himself as that night's DJ, that everyone made the connection. One of the first to approach them was their teacher, Miss Bustier, who was surprised, to say the least with their entrance.

"Marinette?" -Miss Bustier asked Ladybug, who smiled at her.

"Yap, it's me, Miss Bustier." -Ladybug smiled.

"And… let's see… Adrien?" -Miss Bustier asked Chat, who waved his head. –"Mylene?" -she asked Doe, who also waved her head. –"Juleka?"

One by one, she managed to identify every single one of her students. She was surprised, to say the least by them showing up dressed like that. They were a tight group, but even so, she had been their teacher for more than 3 years now, Adrien being the exception, and she had never seen them doing something like that before. Still, she would be lying, if she said she did not like seeing her class behaving like that.

"I didn't know you had decided to form a costumed group and come together." -Miss Bustier told them.

"It was actually Chloé's idea… hers and Sabrina." -Ladybug said, as she winked at both Queen Bee and Louve Grise. –"They made us all promise we wouldn't tell anyone about it, so as to be a big surprise." -she said, as both girls winked back at her. It felt nice to be given the credit, even though it had not been their idea. Still, they were not going to argue about it there.

"Well, I must say that I'm surprised, and I think that even your colleagues were impressed to see you all walking in together." -Miss Bustier said. –"Your outfits look very realistic."

"We just got lucky when buying them." -Dragonfly said. –"But you also look awesome, Miss Bustier." -she complimented her on her costume.

"Why, thank you, Alix. But don't think that flattering me is going to make me raise your grades. But of course, that's elementary, my dear." -Miss Bustier joked with the pink-haired heroine. This caused her to blush a little, and the others to laugh about it. –"Well, now that you are here, I think the party can finally start."

"Don't tell us that you were waiting for us to arrive to start the party?" -Panda Rouge asked her.

"Yes, and no, Nathaniel. The party, as you have seen, has already started, but Principal Damocles wanted your speech to truly start the festivities, and before you ask, I'm quoting him. There aren't my words." -Miss Bustier told them.

"So, we've got to go up there and give the speech?" -Flamingo asked her, to which she waved her head. –"Do we really have to, Miss Bustier? I know that only one of us is going to talk, but, you know, I'm really shy and I don't feel like standing in front of a big audience." -she lied. As Flamingo, Rose was absolutely okay with facing crowds, but right then, she was not in the mood to go up the stage and do that. She just wanted to have fun and dance with her girlfriend.

"I'm afraid not, Rose. You all came up with the idea for this party, so it's only fair that you all have to go up to the stage, together." -Miss Bustier told her. –"I know you're not a big fan of standing in front of crowds, but, think of this as one of your ballet performances."

"Okay. I understand, Miss Bustier." -Flamingo declared.

"Oh, I almost forgot to ask this. Who's going to read the speech?" -Miss Bustier asked them.

That was a good question. They had all agreed that it would be Alya who was going to write it, but they never decided who was going to deliver it. Talking between them, they asked Miss Bustier to give them a couple of seconds to decide among them. There were a couple of volunteers like Carapace, Antelope and Queen Bee, while others like Flamingo and Ladybug decided they were not the best choice for that, though almost all of them agreed that their leader was just being shy about it.

"Come on, Marinette. Go ahead." -Forest Doe told her.

"But I don't want to. Remember, Ladybug's courageous, but Marinette is super shy. Everyone in this school knows that I'm incredibly shy. If I go up there and start talking like I do whenever I put on this costume, people might get suspicious." -Ladybug told her.

"She does have a point." -Chat agreed with her. –"Whoever talks, has to be someone

"I'll do it!" -Antelope exclaimed.

"Not you! You're a sucker for glory moments. You'll turn this into something about yourself, and we don't need that, remember?" -Dragonfly told him.

"Why do you always have to pick on me?!" –Antelope shot at her, while giving her the stink eye.

"Would you two quit it?! This is not the time for you to start getting on each other's nerves." -Grizzly Bear told them both. The last thing they needed was for them to start bickering with each other.

"Look, I'll do it. Whether I'm wearing this outfit or not, I'm not scared of talking in front of an audience." -Queen Bee said. –"Alya, give me the speech, please."

For a second, the brunette was a little hesitant in handing the blonde the speech she had written for the occasion. She knew she loved to talk about herself, and most of their colleagues still regarded her as the snobbiest girl they had ever met in their lives. Only they knew she had changed, and for the most part, she did not act like her old self, most of the time. Still, she handed her the speech, but warned her not to deviate from what was written on the paper sheet.

"Here you go, Chloé. And remember, stick to what's written in there. Don't start blabbing about something that doesn't have to do with this, okay?"

"Oh, come on. Have a little faith in me, okay?" -Queen Bee told her.

" _I have faith in you, just in your ego and your passion for the spotlight._ " –Rena Rouge thought to herself.

Telling Miss Bustier that they had decided who was going to read the speech, they accompanied her to the stage that had been assembled for the occasion, and where the turntables also were. As they went up the stairs, the music began to die off, providing a little silence. Shortly after, Principal Damocles joined them, and the spotlight was turned on and pointed at him. Grabbing the microphone, he addressed to everyone

"Well, then, first of all, good evening to all of you. Don't worry, I won't bother you with a big speech, because, let's face it, you came here to enjoy the party and that's exactly what you're going to do in just a few minutes. So, please bear the words of an old man for just a little bit okay?" -Principal Damocles told the audience. –"As principal of this fine school, over the years I've seen classes come and going, and each year they have surprised me with how imaginative they can be, when planning activities for their fellow students. And this year's Halloween party is no exception. Miss Bustier's class came up with a rather unique idea, and to tell you a little bit about the creative process and how this idea came to be." -he said, as he turned his attention Miss Bustier's class.

With the spotlight on the class, there were some applauses, as Queen Bee made her way to the principal and took the microphone from his hand, facing the crowd.

"Good evening!" -Queen Bee said, as she looked at the speech Alya had written. –"First of all, my class and I would like to thank you all for helping us put this party together in such a short time. We know that the theme we presented for this party, and ended up being the one chosen has been made before, but what's more Halloweenesque than vampires? And I mean, real vampires, not the ones in those Twilight movies, who glow in the Sun." -she went on, making the crows chuckle with that last joke. –"Still, no matter how creepy or fantastic we had envisioned this party we would've never pull it out just by ourselves. Your help was incredible, and thanks to you, this party will be remembered by all of us, for the rest of our lives. And so, let us show our excitement to Samhain and Hecate on this night, by party all night! Happy Halloween, everyone!"

The speech was received with a bunch of applauses from everyone, though that did not surprise Queen Bee or any of the others. Looking at Rena Rouge, Ladybug smirked, signalling just how much she liked the speech.

"You aced it again, Alya." -Ladybug whispered at her.

"Well, when you spend so much time writing articles for your blog, and pretty much every discussion forum there is, you tend to catch a thing or two." -Rena Rouge told her. –"Plus, practice makes it perfect."

But, she was not the only one who was being congratulated. Queen Bee was also being praised by both her friends, and her teacher.

"You were great, Chloé!" -Louve Grise said.

"You sure were, Chloé." -Miss Bustier told her.

"Thank you, but I can't take all the credit… I mean, I could, but I won't. Alya was the one who wrote the speech. I merely read it." -Queen Bee declared.

"In that case, Alya, I also have to congratulate you." -Miss Bustier told the brunette, who smiled.

"Thank you."

"And now, I think it's time for the party to really start. Shouldn't you be in your designated place already, Nino?" -Miss Bustier asked him.

"Oh, yeah! Guess that's my cue, everyone. Wish me luck!" -Carapace told the whole gang.

"As if you needed luck to choose the right music for the occasion." -Rena Rouge told him, while winking her left eye.

"I love you too, Alya." -Carapace said, as he headed to where the turntables were.

Knowing that the music was about to start, the whole gang went down the stairs and joined the rest of the students. As for Carapace, he readied himself to make that night go from awesome, to epic. Earlier that morning, he had checked the sound system and all the equipment. Looking at the crowd, who looked like they could use a little incentive to drag their feet to the dance floor, he put on his headphones, and he was ready to rock.

"Good evening, everyone! Are you ready to party?!" -Carapace asked everyone in the gym.

"Yeah!"

"What?! I can't hear you!" -he asked them.

"Yeah!"

"Come on, even my grandmother screams louder than that!" -he said. He loved doing that with the crowd. It just made them eager for more.

"Yeah!"

"Alright! Now that's what I'm talking about." -Carapace exclaimed, as he grabbed one of the records he had brought from his private collection. –"This is DJ Nino "Carapace" Lahife, saying that this night is going to be epic! But let's start slowly, and then kick it up a notch, okay? With you, the Prince of Pop, Michael Jackson with… The Thriller!"

As soon as the record started spinning, and the song began, everyone at the gym could definitely say they were in a Halloween party. No self-respecting party on that night would be complete without that song. Everyone knew it, and everyone knew how to dance it.

"Nice choice from Nino." -Corbeau Noire told Flamingo.

"Yeah, but it's not the kind of music you want to dance hugged to another person." -Flamingo told her.

"If you want to, we can go up to the roof and slow dance all night, just the two of us." -Corbeau Noire whispered to the blonde's ear, making her giggle.

"That's a nice idea… maybe a little later, if he doesn't put on something for us to dance together." -Flamingo told her. They had agreed not to tell anyone about their relationship, but that did not mean they could not be seen dancing together; after all, it's not unusual for best-friends to be see dancing together. –"Right now, I think I'm in the mood for something sweet."

"Punch or something with chocolate in it?" -Corbeau Noire asked her.

"Let's start with the punch." -Flamingo told her.

Heading to the table where the beverages were being served, the girls had to wait their turn to get near the punch bowl. This one looked like a witch's bubbling cauldron, and the punch looked purple, like a witch's magic potion. Like in every teenager movie, there was always one prankster would try to spike the punch, by adding it a little alcohol to it, and in this party, there was also one funny guy who was attempting to do it. But, Miss Mendeleiev caught him on the act, and beside scolding him, also confiscated the flask he had brought with him, which was filled with either vodka, rum or any other alcoholic beverage. Both Corbeau Noire and Flamingo saw this, and could to help but to laugh.

"Guess our punch isn't going to get spiked this evening." -Flamingo giggled.

"Too bad, I actually like my punch with a little kick to it." -Corbeau Noire giggled.

While this happened, on the opposite side of the gym, Antelope was practically showing off in front of a group of girls. Arachnid, who was tagging along his best friend, was surprised to see just how the girls seemed to be interested in him. As the class nerd, he was never the one girls were interested in. And one of the girls, who was wearing a Batgirl costume, was really flirting with him.

"You know, without the glasses, you don't look so nerdy, you know?"

"Really?" -Arachnid asked her. He was not used to seeing girls flirting with him.

"Yeah. I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but those glasses you usually wear, they're just so late 90's. You should really start wearing contacts, like you're doing tonight." -she told him, not realizing that he was not wearing any contact lenses.

Antelope, who was watching the whole thing, could not help but to chuckle to himself.

" _Well, well, who would have thought that Max would be such a success with girls, just by removing his glasses?_ " -Antelope thought to himself. –" _Of course, I'm not doing so bad myself._ "

"Your costume looks so cool. You look like the real deal. Where did you buy it?" -a girl who was wearing a nurse outfit asked him.

"I bought it online." -Antelope answered her.

Though most people were impressed with the gang's costumes, there also some who were not. Jealousy is a very powerful thing, as well as envy and on a school, those two sentiments were the main dish of the day, for those who sought them. Both boys and girls began to say that their costumes were not that good, or that theirs were better. Queen Bee and Louve Grise wo were passing by one of those people heard them, and did not like what they heard, especially the bee heroine.

"Can you believe that, Sabrina?!" -Queen Bee asked her. –"How can they say that my costume doesn't even look like Queen Bee's?! I'm the real deal, for crying out loud!"

"Chloé, don't say that out loud!" -Louve Grise begged her. Though the music was loud, she feared that someone could hear them.

"But it's true, Sabrina!" -Queen Bee insisted on the matter.

"I know it's true, Chloé, but you can't say that without revealing that you are Queen Bee, remember?" -Louve Grise pointed out.

Louve was right, and the bee heroine knew it. If she started an argument about the insults they had heard, she might accidently reveal that she was Queen Bee, or the people could put two and two together, and figure out the truth. She would just have to listen to any insult or affront people threw at her, and pretend she did not care. Still, a small part of her, just wanted to go to where those people were and slap them in the face.

"I know, I know… but that doesn't make it any less easy." -Queen Bee declared.

"Come on, your Chloé Bourgeois, remember? You're superior to them, just by being yourself." -Louve told her. –"Just ignore them and have fun." -she smiled

Once again, her best-friend was right. She just had to ignore those remarks. She was superior to them, not only because she was who she was, but because she was also the one and only Queen Bee. Who cared if they thought her outfit did not look like the real one? She knew her outfit was the real one, and that was that.

"I know I keep telling you this, but I'm really lucky to have you as my best-friend, and most of the time, I don't deserve such honour." -Bee told her, being honest about every word she said.

"Oh, forget about it. Come on, I want to dance. Come and dance with me, Chloé!" -Louve told her, as she grabbed the blonde by the wrist and dragged her to the dance floor.

"Sabrina, forget it! I don't want to dance, right now, and not to this song." -Queen Bee chuckled. Carapace had just put on Possum Kingdom from the Toadies, and she was not a big fan of the song.

"Come on, don't be like that, Chloé! You know I love this song! I'm always listening t it with my dad at home." -Louve said, as she started to dance to the rhythm of the music. –"Come on, dance with me!" -she giggled.

"Oh, alright, but just this dance." -Bee started to dance.

While things in the dance floor were heating up, on the lounging area where several tables and chairs had been placed, things were a little calmer. Ladybug had just gone get something to eat, and took a seat at one of the vacant tables. She had told herself that was going to invite Chat, or better, yet, Adrien to dance with her, right after eating. She was just about to take a bite out of the slice of chocolate cake she had brought with her, when she was interrupted.

"Marinette?" -a voice called her.

"Yes?" -Ladybug said, as she turned her head to the right.

"Oh, finally, it's you. Sorry, I already bumped into four other Ladybugs thinking it was you, and I ended up finding they weren't." -the girl said. –"I don't know if you're recognizing me."

The girl had pale skin and light purple-grey eyes. Her hair was two tones with dark purple base and periwinkle bangs, while her large, pointed, low-angled twintails were striped with dark purple and periwinkle spirals. On her face, she had jagged black face paint that surrounded her eyes, coming down to her cheeks as lightning bolts. As for her costume, she was wearing a tight, muted-colour purple and blue two-piece dress that poofed into a curved bell-shape around her waist, with small shoulder puffs with a narrow-ended-tube-shaped collar. The sleeves were white gloves with two lightning bolts above her elbows. She was wearing muted purple tights that became small-heeled white boots that were angled at the "opening" near the calf, with two lightning bolts coming of the boots around the outsides of her legs near her knees. She was also holding a dark purple striped parasol. No matter how much she tried, the scarlet heroine just could not see who she was talking to.

"Sorry, but I'm not seeing who you are." -Ladybug told the girl. Her voice was not strange to her, but right then she did not know from where she had heard it before.

"It's me, Aurore Beauréal, from Miss Mendeleiev's class." -she told the heroine.

"Oh, Aurore! I thought your voice looked familiar." -Ladybug told her. She and Aurore had once gone up against one another in a design and sewing competition the school did to find out who would have the honour of designing the school's new soccer equipment. Being a cosplayer in her spare time, Aurore was used to sew her own outfits. She was a fierce rival, but in the end, Marinette ended up winning the competition. Though a little upset, Aurore congratulated Marinette and from then on, every time they bumped into one another in school, they would exchange a friendly hello between them. –"You look incredible. What are you supposed to be?"

"Me? Well, you could say I'm an akuma." -Aurore told her. –"Ever since Ladybug and the others showed up, including Hawk Moth that for some reason in the cosplay community, everyone has been coming up with original designs for Akumas and then creating the suits. This one is mine." -she told her. –"And believe me, I spent a whole week working on it, just to bring it to the party."

"It's very interesting." -Ladybug told her. The idea that anyone would thought that creating fictional akumas and then making their outfits sounded both awesome and creepy at the same time. –"And what's the name of your akuma?"

"Stormy Weather. I'm a weather controlling akuma." -Aurore told her.

" _We still hadn't one of those… I mean, we had one that had ice powers, but that was it_." -Ladybug thought to herself. –"I like the name, and I like your outfit."

"Thanks. I like yours too, especially the details. Did you make it?" -Aurore asked her, as she examined the outfit.

"No, I bought it. I wanted to make it, but I had to make a Halloween outfit for a very special little girl, and ended up running out of time." -Ladybug told her.

"I understand. Still, it looks really great." -Aurore declared. –"Do you mind if I take a selfie with you?"

"Sure, I'd love that." -Ladybug asked her. –"But, with so many other Ladybugs around, why me?" -she asked her, curious.

"Well, the other Ladybugs look good, but you're the only one I know personally. Plus, your outfit is the one that looks the most accurate." -Aurore told her, as she took her cell phone from her pocket.

"If you say so." -Ladybug told her, as they positioned themselves for the selfie. Aurore was not the first one to tell her that. Other kids at the party had commended her outfit on the details. But there was one person who had praised her, without even knowing, and that was her crush. Hearing him say that he would recognize her among thousands of Ladybugs, was so sweet, that if her heart could melt, it would be nothing more than a puddle of water right then.


	14. Who Are You Going to Call?

With Carapace at the helm of the music, the party was, little by little, being what Miss Bustier's class wanted it to be. When they came up with the ideas for the party, they wanted this one to be one of a kind. And they were having it, with a little help from the performers who kept finding ways to living up the party. But, of course, Carapace's music was the fuel that party needed to keep rocking, and as he put on another song, he saw everyone having a great time.

"And for our next song, I'd like you guys to welcome our good friends Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield from Metallica, with the song "Enter Sandman"!" -Carapace exclaimed, as he turned up the volume. Such song deserved to be heard as loud as possible.

At the same time, Ladybug finished the slice of chocolate cake she had brought with her. With her stomach fuller, she felt like she could do anything, including asking the boy of her dreams to dance with her. She did not know if it was her being transformed, or the chocolate who was giving her the courage to do such a thing, but she really did not care. Right then, she felt like she could do it, and that was just what she was going to do. Getting up, she went looking for Chat, among the crowd of people. It would not be easy to find him, because he was not the only one wearing that costume there. Still, she hoped her instinct would help her find him.

" _Come on, kitty cat, where are you?_ " -Ladybug asked herself, as she spotted a boy in a Chat Noir costume, not too far from her. At first, she thought it was Chat, but after looking at him closely, she saw that he did not have the same haircut. –" _Nope, you're not my kitty cat. Where are you?_ " -she asked herself, as her eyes kept roaming the crowd.

After a couple of minutes, the scarlet heroine finally spotted the real Chat, near one of the gym's entrances, He was talking to a Rena Rouge and to a Forest Doe, who she believed were the real Rena and Doe. As she got closer, and though the music was a little loud, she recognized Alya and Mylene's voices.

"Hey, can I join you, or is this a private party?" -Ladybug joked, as she neared her friends.

"Hey, Marinette!" -Forest Doe smiled.

"Hey, girl." -Rena Rouge said.

"Hey, Marinette. So, are you enjoying yourself?" -Chat asked her, always with a big grin on his face.

"A little… what about you? Shouldn't you be on the dance floor?" -Ladybug asked the three of them.

"We're taking a little break." -Rena told her. –"And, we're also helping Mylene looking for Ivan."

"We've been looking for him for almost 15 minutes, and he's nowhere to be seen." -Chat said. –"Which is pretty strange, since a big guy like him should be pretty easy to spot." -he declared.

"Did you check the bathrooms?" -Ladybug asked him

"I did, and he wasn't there." -Chat answered her. –"But, he's bound to show up, sooner or later."

"Yeah, he's bound to show up." -Rena agreed.

Thinking to herself, Ladybug felt that was right moment to ask Chat to dance with her. Now that the ice was broken, she could ask him, without sounding awkward. Taking a silent deep breath, she looked at him and said:

"Uh, Adrien… I was wondering, if you would like to…"

"To what?" -Chat asked her.

"To dance with me." -Ladybug asked him in a whisper.

"What did you say? I couldn't hear you!" -Chat asked her. The music was a little too loud, and with Ladybug whispering, he did not hear her question.

"I was wondering, if you'd like to dance with me?!" -Ladybug repeated herself. This time, for some reason, that came out a lot easier than before.

"Y-Yeah, sure!" -Chat said.

Smiling, Rena Rouge felt that they were about to have an infamous Adrinette moment there, and she was going to lend them a little help. Excusing herself, she quickly made her way through the crowd, reaching the stage, where Carapace was. Going around the back, she climbed the stairs and quickly got behind Carapace, who felt her presence, as she playfully pressed herself against his back.

"Hey, Alya! Don't tell me you already miss me?" -Carapace asked, as Rena giggled.

"No, silly. Okay, maybe a little bit. But I'm here to ask you a little favour." -Rena told him.

"Lay it on me, girl." -the turtle hero declared.

"Adrien and Marinette have just hit the dance floor, or are about to, and I need a special song, just for them." -the fox heroine told him.

"Special? You mean…"

"Yeah, something they can dance, while on each other's arms."

Carapace smiled. He and Rena had been trying their best to get those two to start dating since the end of the summer, and now, he had the chance to do something that would hopefully put both Ladybug and Chat Noir on the right track for that to happen.

"Alright, something really mushy, but that still has that Halloween vibe… I won't lie, it's going to be tough, but I'll do my best." -Carapace told his girlfriend.

"I know you can do it. After all, you're the best DJ around, Nino." -Rena said, as she hugged him even tighter and kissed him on the cheek.

"Well, you're also pretty awesome too." -Carapace said, as she let him go, allowing him to go through his record collection, looking for something that would fill out the requirements. –"I know I have the perfect thing right here… I just need to find it, and… Here it is!" -he thought to himself.

"Found it?" -Rena asked him.

"If this doesn't work, nothing will." -Carapace declared.

"It's not "Love Is in the Air", is it?" -she asked him.

"Nope, something less corny and more hardcore." -Carapace said, as he noticed the song he had put on before, was about to end. –"Leave everything to me." -he winked at her, after which he turned his attention to the crowd. –"Okay, everyone, I think that after these many awesome songs, we need something a little calmer and smoother… don't worry, I'm not going to play something like the waltz."

That joke of his made the whole gym chuckle. Hearing them do that, meant that he was doing a good job of entertaining them.

"With you, "The Ghost of You" from My Chemical Romance." -Carapace said, as the song began.

Just like he had promised, that song was a little softer than the ones he had been playing until then, but it still had enough kick in it, to not let people fall asleep while hearing it. Upon hearing it, both Ladybug and Chat Noir knew that their best friends were behind it.

" _That Alya… I bet she's behind this._ " -Ladybug smiled.

" _That Nino. I can see what he's trying to do here… best wingman a guy like me could ask for._ " -Chat Noir thought to himself.

As the song went on, the two heroes started to dance together. Slowly and awkwardly, they wrapped their arms around each other, and let the rhythm of the song guide their bodies. Chat could not help but to look Ladybug in the eyes and feel a little nervous. And the same thing could be said about Ladybug herself. The two of them were so nervous, that they did not dare to utter a single word, fearing that they might say something embarrassing. Still, they did not dare look away, their eyes locked onto each other's.

"I can't believe I'm actually dancing with Adrien! Not only he's super handsome, he's also a great dancer… I just hope he doesn't think I can't dance." -Ladybug thought to herself.

"I can't believe I'm dancing with Marinette. She's so pretty… plus, she's an incredible dancer. I just hope she doesn't think I can't really dance." -Chat Noir

They kept dancing in silence, though both were telling themselves that they could not go on like that. They had to say something to each other, otherwise, that would be the most awkward dance ever.

" _I've got to say something, otherwise he'll think I've got my mind on the Moon!_ " -Ladybug thought to herself.

" _I've got to say something to her, otherwise, she'll think I'm a complete idiot!_ " -Chat Noir thought to himself.

"So…" -Both said in chorus.

"S-Sorry, you go first." -Ladybug told Chat.

"No, you go first, I insist." -Chat told Ladybug.

"O-Okay… so, you're a really good dancer." -Ladybug declared.

"Well, you ain't so bad yourself." -Chat grinned.

"Thanks. I learnt to dance with my dad." -Ladybug said. –"What about you? How did you learn?"

"Two years of dancing lessons, along with piano and fencing lessons." -Chat rolled his eyes, as he remembered them. From all those things, the only thing that he really liked practicing was fencing. –"My dad thinks that I needed to learn those things, though I don't know why I would need piano lessons. I don't have any plans of becoming a pianist." -he chuckled.

The scarlet heroine quickly imagined him playing the piano, and from there, it was not much of a stretch to imagine the blond playing the piano, wearing a black tuxedo, while she herself would be singing, lying on top of the piano, wearing a beautiful silk red strapless dress and matching stilettos, just like in an old movie. Thinking about it, her mind was quickly over the Moon, and if it was not for Chat, who called her back to Earth, she would have stayed there for as long as possible.

"Marinette? Marinette?" -Chat called her back to Earth.

"S-Sorry, I was a little distracted…" -Ladybug said, as her face blushed lightly.

"That's okay." -Chat smiled at her. –"I was going to ask you, if you want to hear a little secret?"

"A secret?" -Ladybug's heart skipped a beat, when Chat told her that. What kind of secret he wanted to tell her? Was it something about him, or maybe about how he felt about her? Just thinking about it, made her heart beat faster than ever. Still, she tried to look cool and relaxed. –"S-Sure, I'd love to. That is, if you want to tell it to me." -she giggled nervously.

"Of course, I want to." -Chat told her. –"Remember when we were talking to Alya and Mylene about Ivan being nowhere? Well, actually, I kind of lied about that." -he said.

"What do you mean?" -Ladybug asked him, puzzled. –" _Why would he lie about such a thing?_ " -she asked herself.

"Ivan was in one of the bathrooms, trying to gather up the courage to do something he's been planning for a couple of weeks now. He's going to propose to Mylene, tonight." -Chat told her. –"But, you know just how shy he can be. He told me that he was really nervous and if Mylene asked about it, that I should tell her that I didn't see him."

" _Shy? I can relate to that._ " -Ladybug thought to herself. –"I thought he wouldn't be shy about proposing to her. After all, they already kissed a couple of times, and they're always hanging together. He shouldn't be shy about asking her to be his girlfriend." -she said.

"Well, maybe, but you know that you girls aren't the only ones who get to be shy. We guys also have the right to be shy." -Chat winked at her, making her blush once more.

All that mushy and sweet talk was making Ladybug's heart beat faster than a hummingbird's. She always thought that whenever she donned that costume, her feelings for Adrien would be in control, but right then, they were anything but under control. And unknowingly for her, Chat's heart was also beating like crazy, because of his feelings for her. If she dared herself to touch his chest, Ladybug would feel the boy's heart beating like crazy, just as well. Still, she did no such thing, and though the song had reached it end, they went on dancing in the middle of the dance floor, while the rest had stopped. Seeing that, Carapace smiled, as he believed the song he had picked had done its job better than he expected.

" _Those two… I wouldn't be surprised if they tell each other tonight what they really feel for one another._ " -the turtle hero thought to himself, as he readied the next song.

But, he was not the only one who was commentating just how lovey-dovey both Ladybug and Chat Noir were acting on the dance floor. Near one of the speakers, both Flamingo and Corbeau Noire talked between them about what they were seeing.

"Do you think it will be tonight that we'll see those two together, at last?" -Corbeau Noire asked Flamingo.

"I don't know. But it would be so romantic if that happened." -Flamingo told her.

"Just like it happened with the two of us?" -Corbeau asked Flamingo.

"Yeah, just like that." -Flamingo sighed, as she remembered the moment when they both professed their loved for one another.

As this went on, Grizzly Bear had finally gathered the courage he needed to propose to Forest Doe. As he exited the bathroom, he wondered why he just did not go up to Doe and told her how he felt about her in the first place. But, deep down, he knew why he did not do that. He was afraid of her saying no to his request. Though part of him knew she was going to say yes, another part of him pondered the slim and almost unrealistic possibility of her saying no. Still, now that he had placed all his worries behind him, the bear hero was ready to pop her the question. And, for such an occasion, he had bought her something very special. A small bracelet with Mylene's favourite Shakespeare quote engraved in it, "It Is Not in the Stars to Hold Our Destiny, But in Ourselves". She loved that quote, because it reminded her that people made their destiny, and that this one was not set on stone.

" _Mylene's going to love it. I can already picture her face, when I give it to her._ " -Grizzly thought to himself. –" _But, what if… no, don't think crazy things. No bad thoughts… you don't need those, right now. I mean, we've been dating, just not officially. Tonight, we just officialise things, and let people know that we're together. Yeah, that's it._ " -he thought to himself. –" _Now, all I need to do is find her._ "

But finding Forest Doe was not going to be easy, especially since Carapace had decided to put on one of Jagged Stone's songs, and everyone had converged on the dance floor, including Forest Doe, who was accompanied by Dragonfly. As soon as he entered the gym, Grizzly knew he would not be able to find her among that turmoil of people, so, he leaned himself against a wall and waited for the song to end, and for his opportunity. As he waited, he took his left hand to the pocket where he had the bracelet he was going to give to Doe, and found himself thanking the fact that his superhero outfit had pockets.

As the song went on, the mass of people on the dance floor continued to dance like there was no tomorrow. While, at the same time, sitting on one of the tables, were most of the teachers. On that night, they only had two missions. One, was to make sure that everything went according to plan and that everyone had fun, while not doing anything stupid that went against school rules. And two, to pick the best costumes of the party, which was exactly what they were talking about, right then.

"So, do you already have any favourites?" -Miss Mendeleiev asked Miss Bustier, as she herself checked the list

"Not yet. Some of the kids' costumes are very good, but I still need to make another run through the gym, to see which costumes deserve to win this."

"You know you can't elect your own students for best costume. Those are the rules, Caline." -Miss Mendeleiev warned her.

"I know that, don't worry." -Miss Bustier told her. –"Although that's going to be really hard, because they all have the best costumes I've seen tonight." -she thought to herself.

As they talked, Principal Damocles joined them, having finished talking to one of the janitors, telling him to keep his eyes open. Something told him that one, or maybe more students could try to pull out a major prank on everyone in that gym, though he could be wrong. Still, he believed it was better to be safe than sorry, regarding that.

"Finally, I can sit down and relax for a couple of minutes." -Principal Damocles sighed, as he sat.

"Something wrong?" -Miss Mendeleiv asked the principal.

"No, at least, not that I know of. Still, I decided to take some precautions, just in case." -Principal Damocles declared. –"But tell me, how's it coming, choosing the winning costume?"

"Still early to pick favourites." -Miss Bustier said.

"Well, speak for yourself. I already have a few of my own. One of them is even one of your students." -Principal Damocles told Miss Mendeleiv.

"Who?" -Miss Mendeleiv asked him.

"Aurore Beaureál, I think." -the principal told her.

"Oh, yes, I've seen her outfit. It's not exactly my style, but I have to admit she outdid herself."

"But, like I said, she's just one of them. I already have a few other favourites as well." -Principal Damocles declared.

But before he could name the others, there was a loud bang, that echoed all over the gym, startling everyone, and ending the music. At first, they thought a bomb had exploded, but there was no sign of any such thing. It took them a couple of seconds to realize that what had caused the loud bang had been the gym's main door, which looked like it had been blown away, with some thick smog entering through it, rolling down the floor, as if it had a mind of its own. And then, the lights went out, causing everyone to scream.

" _Something's going on._ " -Ladybug told herself. Knowing there was not a minute to lose, she pulled Chat towards her, and whispered at his ear. –"Tell me I'm not the only one who thinks that we've got trouble."

"You're not the only one." -Chat whispered back at her.

And then, as if things were not bad enough, and the chaos around them was already enough, when the lights came back, the real menace showed up. Standing at the gym's main door was a group of what looked like living skeletons; each one of them more gruesome and scarier than the other, and all of them brandishing weapons of all sorts. At first, some of the students thought that that was part of something Miss Bustier's class had secretly planned for the party. But, when the skeletons screamed and began to destroy everything in their path, as well as attacking anyone who stood in front of them, they realized that what was going on was real. This made fear, chaos and mayhem spread like wildfire inside that gym, with people running for their lives. The teachers tried to calm everyone down, but it was no use. They themselves, were forced to find a way out of that place.

The only good thing about all that, was that thanks to everyone panicking, and the thick smog that kept rolling from outside, it allowed Ladybug and the others to quickly gather under the stage, away from prying eyes. They had devised that plan, which was to go for the place they felt was the safest to assemble, and where they knew they would not be bothered, for occasions, such as the one that was happening, during training in the Garden of the Ancients. They knew that eventually they would have to make use of it, but never that fast. It was only when the last member of the team, Panda Rouge, showed up, that Ladybug dared to talk.

"Okay, our worst fears have come true, guys. I don't have to tell you that Hawk Moth's behind this." -Ladybug declared.

"Great… and here I thought we were actually going to have a quiet Halloween night." -Antelope said, trying to break the tension in the air. –"And before you say anything, I know this isn't the best time to tell jokes or anything, but I'm trying stay relaxed, okay?"

"So, what do we do?" -Flamingo asked them.

"First things, first, we need to get everyone out of here, or take the fight outside." -Grizzly Bear said. As always, he had practically glued himself to Forest Doe, who was to his left. Cursing his luck, he knew that he would have to wait until all of that had been dealt with, before he could propose to her, like he had planned to.

"Why not do both things?" -Louve Grise asked her. –"These things need to be taken outside, where they won't hurt anyone, and I don't know about you, but I don't think anyone will want to stay here as long as these creatures are here."

"She does have a point." -Queen Bee said. –"We need to get everyone out, safely, and then, deal with those things."

"I agree with you, but we have to consider one thing." -Ladybug said. –"We need to consider one fact. Once outside, we'll have all the teachers making sure that all students are accounted for, and when that happens, they'll notice that our entire class is missing in action."

What the scarlet heroine said was true. Once Miss Bustier found out that they were nowhere to be seen, and with the whole Miraculous Team showing up to save the day, people were bound to make the connection, and the last thing they needed, was the whole school to find out Miss Bustier's class was the Miraculous Team. They needed a way to be in two places at once, and fast.

"Why don't we ask Alya to use her powers to create illusionary copies of us? She's done it before." -Arachnid suggested, referring to what happened when they saved Manon from Madame Romani's clutches.

The idea was not half bad. But there was a catch. When Rena Rouge did that, the only thing she had to do was create the copies and control them, while they were all invisible, thanks to Forest Doe's invisibility powers. This time, she would have to create them and control them, while fighting those creatures. Still, the fox heroine did not say anything, remaining in silence, while also analysing the chances of that idea working out.

"I can try, but…" -Rena Rouge hesitated for a second. –"… but I don't know if I'll be able to fight those things."

"You won't have to." -Chat told her. –"If we do this, you'll be in charge of controlling those copies. Leave the fighting to us."

"Plus, one of us will cover you, so you can do your magic, Alya." -Carapace said. –"And if it's okay with you, I'll be your bodyguard." -he told her, making her smile. She was happy and relieved to know that her boyfriend would be there for her.

"If you think you can do it, then let's do it. And don't forget to also create a copy of yourself as well" -Ladybug said, as the screams of terror became louder and louder. She and the others knew there was not a minute to lose.

"Don't worry, I won't." -Rena Rouge told her.

"As soon as you create copies of us, order them to find Miss Bustier and stick to her. In the meantime, we'll take advantage of that thick smog that's coming from outside, and we'll get out through the back. Once outside, we'll evaluate the situation, and given the danger, half of us will fight whatever other creatures are out there, while the rest comes back inside and helps everyone

"Hey, one last question, once our copies head outside, what do we do with them?" -Arachnid asked them. –"I mean, they can't just stay around, even if the teachers ask them."

"I'll tell them to scatter and each one run in a different way. Once they're far enough, I'll order them to find a secluded place to hide, and they'll just disappear." -Rena Rouge answered him.

"You can do that?" -Dragonfly asked her.

"I don't know, but I guess tonight, we'll see just how far my powers can go." -the fox heroine.

"Okay. We've got a plan. Stick to it, and remember, don't do anything rash." -Ladybug told them all.

"Uh, before we go, I just wanted to ask you guys one thing." -Antelope said. –"When things become too crazy for the police to handle all by themselves, who are you going to call?" -he asked them.

"Really, Kim?!" -Dragonfly punched him on the shoulder. –"Are you expecting us to say Ghostbusters?!"

"Uh, no, I was actually hoping you guys would say the Miraculous Team. And don't punch me like that, Alix!" -Antelope told her. –"I was just trying to set the mood here!"

"And then, I'm the one who's the nerd around here." -Arachnid sighed in exasperation. –"Honestly, man, couldn't you save that for another time?!"

"Enough with the nerdiness! We got work to do!" -Queen Bee shot at them.

"Chloé's right. We've got to work fast." -Ladybug told them, after which, no one else said another word. –"Alya, do your thing."

"One fake Miraculous Team, coming up." -Rena Rouge said, as she grabbed her flute staff, and prepared to conjure them up.


	15. Welcome to Halloween Town!

Things were starting to get out of control inside the gym. Though the skeletons were thrashing the place, nobody had been hurt by them. This was because everyone was trying as hard as they could to stay as far as possible from those creatures. While this happened, the teachers ordered the students to head towards the exits, and seek refuge outside. Caline Bustier had just helped a couple of students, by telling them where they should go, when one of the skeletons jumped on top of a table near her, and threw what could be described as Templar sword against her, missing her by inches. The poor teacher saw her life passing in front of her eyes, when that happened, screaming in horror. The skeleton who did that, made another sword appear and brandishing it on his left hand, he was about to jump off the table to hit her, when suddenly, out of nowhere came Ivan, dressed as Grizzly Bear, lifting the table with both his hands and sending the skeleton onto the ground, where it shattered into several parts. If she was not so terrified about it, Miss Bustier would have thought that when the skeleton hit the ground, it was like in an old 20's black and white cartoon.

"Leave her alone, ugly!" - Ivan exclaimed.

"Miss Bustier, are you alright?" -Sabrina asked her.

What Miss Bustier did not know, was that the students she was talking to were not really her students, but magical copies created by Rena Rouge, who was still under the stage, along with Carapace, while the rest of the team sneaked out through the back. Observing how she was reacting to them, the fox heroine concluded that she had managed to trick their teacher into thinking she was actually talking to her class. Still, the hard part was still to come. She still had to order them to go outside, and to do that, she would have to make them insist they needed to get out of there.

"Y-Yes, I am, Sabrina." -Miss Bustier told her. –"What about you? Are you all alright?" -she asked the whole class, who showed up behind her.

"We're fine, Miss Bustier." -Alya said.

"But, we better get out of here, on the double." -Rose told her. –"This isn't safe." -she said.

"Alright, stay behind me, all of you. We're going outside. When I say, follow me and head for the door. And whatever happens, don't stop until we're outside." -Miss Bustier told them, who asserted silently with their heads.

Doing as they were told, the magical copies followed Miss Bustier outside, where unknown to them, things were just as chaotic as inside the gym. As soon as they exited through the doors, they started to think that maybe they were a little bit safer inside. Still, there was no way any of the teachers would even consider going back to the gym; not while there were living skeletons fighting and trashing things inside.

* * *

A few minutes earlier, when Ladybug and the others sneaked around the back and headed to the rooftop to access the situation, they were hoping that things were not as bad as they thought they would be. But when they got up there, and looked around, they saw that things were even worst than they had thought. The skeletons that had burst into their school's gym and crashed the party were just the tip of the iceberg. All sorts of creatures were roaming the streets. From skeletons, to what seemed like werewolves; from zombies to other kinds of creatures which one did not know what to name them, it looked as if someone had opened a book of horror tales, and all creatures had jumped out of its pages to seek victims. In the air, you could hear wolves howling, mixed with the screams and cries for help of people both on the street and at their homes, where they had locked themselves. On top of all that, the mysterious fog that they saw inside the gym was covering every street, moving like it had a mind of its own.

Still, no matter how surprised they were with what was going on, Ladybug and the others could not afford to waste a single minute, if they were to save the day. Looking down, they saw that most of their colleagues had already exited the gym, and were either taken by the teachers and janitors to a spot in the school's garden they felt was safe. But, there was still no trace of Miss Bustier or the magical copies of themselves Rena Rouge had created.

"Where are they?" -Ladybug asked out loud. –"We can't jump into action before they show up." -she stated.

"I hope something bad hasn't happened." –Forest Doe declared. –"I knew I should've stayed behind with them." -she said. She had suggested that they could use her invisibility powers to sneak out of there unnoticed, but both Carapace and Rena Rouge said that she would likely be more useful with her bow and arrow outside.

"Don't worry so much. If there had been problems, we would know by now." -Chat Noir said. He had faith in both the fox and the turtle heroes. –"They should be arriving any moment, now." -he stated.

"Look, there they are!" -Dragonfly exclaimed, as she pointed to the group running behind Miss Bustier, who looked quite pale, as if she had seen a ghost, which in this case, would not surprise them. They stopped right next to the other classes, who were being evacuated by the rest of the teachers. –"Miss Bustier looks like she's seen a spook." -she said.

"I wouldn't be surprised. Those skeletons look really scary, even for us who have powers." -Louve Grise said.

"Guess that's our cue. Let's go!" -Queen Bee exclaimed, as she was about to take off, when Ladybug grabbed her by the arm and prevented her from taking off.

"No, not yet. Give them a minute or so. We can't just jump in, before the second act starts." -Ladybug ordered her. When they were still downstairs, and Rena Rouge was creating their copies, the scarlet heroine told her that once these were outside, to find a way for them to convince Miss Bustier to let them leave. When the copies convinced her, they would jump into action. She just hoped

And just like planned, the copies immediately started to beg Miss Bustier to let them go.

"Please, Miss Bustier, we've got to get out of here!" -Ladybug's copy told her. –"There are skeletons everywhere!" -she said, as more and more skeletons and other creatures showed up.

"I know what you mean, Marinette, but it's going to be alright." -Miss Bustier assured her.

"Miss Bustier, I'm going home! I'm not staying another minute here!" -Queen Bee's copy exclaimed.

"Chloé, you're not going anywhere, until I say so!" -Miss Bustier told her. As frightened as she was right then, she was not going to allow her students out of her sight; at least, not until she saw it was safe. –"And before you say anything about it, young lady, I don't care if you report me to your father. You're my responsibility, and I'll do as I see fit."

The whole scene like something out of their classes the previous year, when Chloé still acted like a spoiled girl. Rena Rouge had done quite the job with those copies, creating them in a way that even their own parents would not be able to tell the difference between them, and the originals. Watching the scene, made almost everyone on the roof feel like they had travelled back in time, especially Queen Bee, who remembered quite well of the way she treated everyone, including the teachers, when she did not get things done her way.

"Whoa, talk about your spoiled girl." -Antelope said. –"Thank God you don't act like your old spoiled self, anymore. When you started acting like that, you were worse than any akuma we have faced." -he told Queen Bee.

At first, Queen Bee just wanted to punch him on the shoulder for that remark, but then told herself that he did have a point. She truly was a spoiled brat, and she did not care who she hurt or offended with her behaviour. For her, there was only one thing that was important, and that was her getting things done her way, without regarding the other's feelings. Fortunately, she felt that those days were now just a bad memory from her horrible past, a past she did not want to forget, but at the very least, put it behind her back, so she could embrace the future with open arms.

"Don't remind me of it." -Queen Bee said. –"I was so spoiled back then." -she thought to herself.

"Well, at least now that they are all interacting with Miss Bustier and with some of the others, demanding to be let out of here, we can show up, casually and start battling those things." -Corbeau Noire said. –"Are we good to go?" -she asked Ladybug.

The scarlet heroine wanted to wait another minute or so, but Corbeau Noire was right. Now that their copies were interacting with everyone else, they could easily show up, and no one would suspect Miss Bustier's class was really the Miraculous Team. She was about to give the order

"What is that thing?!" -Ladybug asked.

If the creatures that that were roaming around were not bad enough already, something else decided to show, just to complicate things, something very big and very large. Coming down the street, or better yet, dragging itself down the street at an incredible speed, was a creature that looked half-woman, half-reptile. The lower half could be described as a green and white serpentine body, while the upper half was human, female in appearance. But there was something about it that made it absolutely repulsive and that was its head. Instead of having hair, that creature had snakes for it. It did not take long for them to realize what was coming towards the school's gardens.

"Is that a Medusa?!"

"You mean a Gorgon. Medusa was the name of one of the three Gorgon sisters. She, and her sisters Euryale and Stheno were children of the ancient deities Phorcys and his sister Ceto." -Arachnid stated.

"In other words, you're telling us that that might be Medusa or any of her sisters, is that it, professor?" -Dragonfly asked him, sarcastically. She could not believe that with everything that was going on, that he would still find the time and patience to give them a History lesson.

"It doesn't really matter who she is, or what it is… we all know what happens when you look her in the eyes." -Flamingo said.

"Yeah, you get turned into stone." -Chat Noir said. –"And she's coming in fast! We got to move!" -he exclaimed.

Not waiting another second, Ladybug silently signalled the team to follow her lead. Jumping from the roof, they landed on the floor a couple of seconds later, just as the Gorgon burst into the gardens, scaring everyone even more than they were. The feral creature wasted no time in looking for fresh victims, going as far as using its tail to get any living skeleton that was in its way, by swinging it with an incredible speed. But, as scared as everyone was, once they saw Ladybug and the rest of her team, they started cheering for them.

"Look! It's the Miraculous Team!" -one of the students exclaimed.

"Half of us takes down this ugly monster, the other half take care of the skeletons and whatever else is lurking around here! Don't let them come near the civilians!" -Ladybug instructed them, as she began to swing her yo-yo as fast as her wrist allowed her.

"Let's take her down and quick! And Remember, don't let her look you in the eyes!" -Chat Noir warned them.

With the Gorgon snatching everyone's attention, both Rena Rouge and Carapace were able to exit the gym, and head outside, unnoticed. They also wanted to take part in the action, but to do that, the fox heroine had to make sure their copies were authorized to leave that place. Once that was done, she would be able to join the fight. Making use of Queen Bee's copy, Rena Rouge ordered her to keep complaining to Miss Bustier that she was scared, and she was leaving, and did not care what happened to anyone else, as long as she was safe. The fox heroine knew that her friend was probably going to kill her later for that, but she was desperate.

"I'm not staying here! Come on, Sabrina, let's get out of here!" -Queen Bee's copy exclaimed to Louve Grise's copy, as she prepared to leave.

"If they're going, then, so am I!" –Dragonfly's copy exclaimed.

"No, you're not, and neither are them, Alix!" -Miss Bustier told her, while signalling the other two to stay put. –"Stay where you are, and remain calm!" -she said, as the Miraculous Team tried their best to take the fight to the opposite side of the gardens. While this happened, Miss Bustier saw Principal Damocles approaching her. –"Principal, what do we do? The kids are starting to panic."

"The only thing we can do. We'll head into the main building and barricade ourselves in it, and wait for the heroes to solve this." -Principal Damocles answered her.

But, this would not come to pass, as the battle against the Gorgon took an unexpected turn for the worse. Attempting to hold her in place, Arachnid wrapped his lasso around her body, and then tried to tighten it around one of the garden lamps that were around. But, not being fast enough, the Gorgon used her tail to swat him to the side. Struck by it, the spider hero flew a couple of feet into the air, before falling to the ground. Guided more by instinct than by rationality, he pulled the lasso as hard as he could, only to make the monster fly into the air. Realizing what he had done, he still tried to correct his mistake by lassoing it in the air, only to fail. Seeing what was going on, Dragonfly, who had just kicked one of the living skeletons in the chin, making him disjoint in pieces, flew up and tried to grab it in mid-air, only to fail. The Gorgon fell right in front of the students, who quickly closed their eyes, not to look at the monster's eyes. Unfortunately, Miss Bustier and Principal Damocles were not fast enough, and as soon as the Gorgon looked them in the eyes, they both turned to stone, along with a few more students who did not close their eyes. When this happened, panic broke out in its maximum force. What followed looked like a stamped scene, with everyone running for their lives. The remaining teachers still tried to calm the students down, but it was useless. No force on Earth was going to keep the students, who were already scared, around there anymore.

Taking that as a sign, Rena Rouge ordered all the copies to panic and scream, while running away in multiple directions. Mixing up with the rest of the screaming crowd, it took mere seconds, before the heroes' copies disappeared, leaving Rena Rouge free to join the battle. And although this looked like it dragged itself for several minutes, the truth was that everything was over in a matter of 30 seconds. Every last skeleton around was down for the count, and the Gorgon had been lassoed, gagged and blindfolded by the combined forces of Panda Rouge, Arachnid and Dragonfly. No matter how much that mythological creature moved, she was not going anywhere. Looking at the Gorgon, Carapace asked himself what did that creature had to do with the others that were seemingly everywhere. But, he was the only one thinking about that, because the rest of the team was busy checking in those who had fallen victims of the creature's deadly stare, among them, their teacher, Miss Bustier.

Looking at her, it was hard for them to believe that their teacher and several others, including the principal, had been turned to stone. The expression of fear in their faces was heart-wrenching.

"Is she alright?" -Dragonfly asked.

"She's a statue, and so is Principal Damocles." -Antelope answered her.

"I asked if she was alright. I didn't ask you to tell me what she had been turned into." -Dragonfly pointed it out.

"Look, I don't know if she's alright or not… in fact, I don't know if any of them are alright." -Antelope told her –"The only thing I know is that right now, the only thing they are good for is as garden gnomes."

"If that was supposed to be a joke, it was your worst joke ever." -Dragonfly raised her eyebrow at him.

"Look, could you two knock it off?" -Forest Doe asked them both. –"Thing are already bad enough, without you two arguing all the time."

After she said that, there was a brief period of silence, which was only broken by Ladybug who decided to try and lift everyone's morale.

"Look, don't worry. I'm sure they'll be fine, once we find out the Akuma who caused all of this. You'll see."

She had just finished that sentence, when a thunder was heard, startling them, after which, lightning stroke the ground just a couple of feet from where they were, and the fog started to rise on that very same spot. Little by little, the fog started to gain form and shape, and when it finally stopped, a skeletal creature with glowing green eyes and sharp teeth, wearing a black cloak and holding a glowing red globe, appeared in front of them, smirking evilly.

"Good evening, Miraculous Team." -the akuma said in a voice, which reminded them of the voice of Bela Lugosi.

"So, you're the one who's behind all this, huh?!" -Chat Noir asked him

"Indeed I am. My name is Spectrum, and I see that you have already met some of my brothers and sisters." -Spectrum said, referring to the creatures the heroes had been facing. –"Master Hawk Moth has given me explicit orders to get rid of you and to take him your miraculouses, so he can destroy them."

"Did he, now? Well, guess what bonehead?! You're not going to take anything from us!" -Antelope shot at him. –"But you know what? We'll be happy to kick your butt and send it back from you came from!"

"Oh, you got spunk, I like that. I hope you all are as eager to face me, as your friend." -Spectrum kept smiling creepily at the heroes. –"But before we start exchanging blows, I think this calls for a change of scenery.

With those words, the glowing red orb he was carrying began to glow with even more luminescence. One could say that it looked a bit like the Eye of Sauron right then. Then, it began to rise in the air at an incredible speed, stopping just before hitting the clouds above, only to explode, its magical content spreading over the sky, and coming down on the city. When the smoke reached ground level, it began spinning with a mind of its own, and everything started to change shape and colour. Buildings began to bend over, assuming some of the creepiest, yet incredible shapes, as well as changing size and colour. The roads once even and parallel, were now crooked, and the asphalt looked like it was alive. Street lamps, once normal in shape and size looked now like something taken out of a hellish nightmare. And to top everything, everywhere creepy and absolutely frightening gargoyles sprung from buildings, and from the ground. If one was to describe what had happened, they would say that they had crossed into the other side of the looking-glass, where they saw that everything looked like a nightmarish version of the place they had come from, complete with ghosts.

"What did you do?!" -Ladybug asked him, as she still tried to process what had happened in front of her eyes.

"What did I do? I simply gave Paris a much-needed makeover. Don't you just love it? It practically screams Halloween everywhere." -Spectrum said, as he made another orb appear from thin air. The way he was talking, he certainly loved the sound of his own voice. –"And soon, the rest of France, and eventually the world, will also be given a similar makeover. Can you imagine, a world where all of the creatures of the night can feel right at home?"

Tired of hearing him speak, Dragonfly grabbed her frisbee and threw it at the akuma, who disappeared in a cloud of black smoke, only to appear on top of a nearby street lamp.

"Stop running and fight like a man, you coward!" -Dragonfly exclaimed, glaring at Spectrum.

"Yeah! Turn these people back to normal, this instant, or you're going to regret it!" -Rena Rouge said, as she brandished her flute staff.

Hearing them say those statements, Spectrum laughed maniacally, which did not surprise Ladybug nor the others. Laughing maniacally seemed to be a trait shared by every crazy akuma Hawk Moth created. When he finally stopped laughing, he looked at them and said:

"I must say, I truly hope you put up quite the fight, and that you won't go down after the first punch, because you are hilarious!"

"For someone who looks eager to fight us, you surely don't seem very anxious to dirtying your hands!" -Corbeau Noire told him.

"Oh, I am anxious to dirtying my hands. Just not yet! You will get the chance to face me, I give you my word. But to do that, you must prove yourselves." -Spectrum declared in a serious voice.

"Prove ourselves?!" -Flamingo asked him, not understanding what he meant with those words.

"Yes. My brothers and sisters of the night… they now control this city, and in order to face me, you must first stop them and retrieve something they are guarding."

"And what would that be?" -Forest Doe asked him.

"Samhain's Pendant." -Spectrum said, as he used his orb to show them what the object in question looked like. The pendant was orange and black and it was shaped like a scary Jack O'Lantern, attached to a black chain. –"The pendant has been split into four different pieces. Get the four pieces from my brothers and sisters and assemble it. Do that, and I'll let you fight me.

"And where do we find these brothers and sisters of yours?" -Panda Rouge asked him. He had a bad feeling about all that.

"They are in four different places. The Louvre, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Père Lachaise Cemetery and the Paris Opera… and hurry, otherwise, this night will go on forever." -Spectrum said, as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

They waited for him to reappear, but after a couple of seconds, he did not show up, which led them to assume he was gone, leaving them alone.

"What did he mean by with that last sentence?" -Panda Rouge asked.

"I don't know, but we can worry about that later. Right now, we've got to find those pieces, assemble them to create the pendant, and fight this guy, so we can get this city more normal, and less Halloween Town from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas." -Ladybug said. –"We'll have to split up into separate teams to do this." -she stated.

"Fine with me. But who goes where? This would be easier for us if that guy had told who or what is expecting us to show up." -Chat Noir declared.

"And since when do akumas help us?" -Rena Rouge asked him, in a sarcastic tone.

"Look, we'll go with the usual mini-teams." -Ladybug told them. –"Bee, Louve, Chat and I will take the Louvre. Rena, Carapace, Antelope and Dragonfly, you guys take the Cathedral. Flamingo, Grizzly and Corbeau, head to the cemetery, and finally, Panda, Doe and Arachnid, you take the Opera house. Once you get the piece, head for City Hall." -she stated.

"Understood." -Dragonfly said. –"Come on, time's a wastin here, people!" -she exclaimed, ready to jump into action.

As the heroes made their way to their designated destinations, up on what used to be the Sacré Coeur Basilica, which now looked like a twisted version of it, was Hawk Moth, along with his two lieutenants, Reptile and Madame Romani. He had seen the night of Paris being turned into the ghoulish landscape he had in front of him right then, and was surprised by how powerful his new akuma was. When he created him, he knew it would be incredibly powerful, but he never thought it would have the power to do what he did, and at that speed. He was also impressed by how many ghoulish creatures Spectrum had managed to create or release, thus creating an all-powerful army.

"Impressive… Spectrum is doing a fine job." -Hawk Moth declared.

"But will he be able to keep his promise of delivering the miraculouses, after killing those kids?" -Reptile whispered to Madame Romani.

"I don't know, but he better… otherwise, master hawk Moth won't be happy about it." -Madame Romani whispered back.

"What did I tell you about whispering among yourselves, when I'm around?!" -Hawk Moth shouted at the two of them. –"I can hear you perfectly! And so far, he has managed to impress me more than the combined efforts of the two of you." -he told them both. –"He will not fail me, unlike the two of you… it's only a matter of time before I have the miraculouses in my hands."


	16. Crypt of the Vampires

As they made their way to the Louvre, Ladybug. Chat Noir, Queen Bee and Louve Grise asked themselves what they would see when they arrived there. When Spectrum spoke about his brothers and sisters, they all figured that he was certainly talking about creatures and monsters from all kinds of lore, and that meant that they could have living skeletons, or flesh-eating zombies, or ghosts, just to cover a few hypotheses, guarding one of the four pieces of Samhain's Pendant. Whatever the case, they knew they were walking right into a trap… still, they did not have any other choice but to walk right into it. They needed that piece, and they were going to get it, even if they had to face a whole army of monsters to get it. As they raced towards the museum, either by running through the rooftops, or flying up in the air, the four heroes saw that the whole city had been runover with all kinds of monsters and creatures, straight out of horror movies. From werewolves and living-skeletons on the ground, to ghosts soaring through the skies, you could say that there were monsters for everyone's taste. And the worst part were the screams. There were so many people screaming for help, that their only wish was to go and help them. But they could not lose time doing it. It was a tough call to make, but if they helped those people, it would take them longer to get the piece of the pendant, and even longer to assemble it and fight Spectrum. They knew that the faster they did that, the faster all of that would end, and that night would be nothing more than a bad memory. At the same time, they all asked themselves if their parents were alright.

" _I wonder if mom, dad and Manon are alright?_ " -Ladybug asked herself, not knowing they were actually safe, inside Master Fu's house.

" _Hope dad is okay._ " -Chat Noir thought to himself, as he remembered his dad was attending a Halloween party, where Mayor Bourgeois was also.

" _I hope dad is safe._ " -Queen Bee asked herself.

" _Why did dad had to go to work tonight? Couldn't he had just accepted Chloé's dad offer and take the night off?! I just hope he's alright and that he has found a place to hide._ " -Louve Grise thought to herself, as she leaped from one building to another.

Unfortunately, right then, they could only hope that they were all fine and had found a place to hide. They had to focus on their mission, even if that meant ignoring just how worried they were about those they loved the most. Right then, they need to have their thoughts on one thing, one thing only: Getting to the Louvre.

Still, getting to the Louvre posed a bigger challenge than they thought. The whole city looked different, and it was a bit hard for them to navigate it, without fully knowing what was what. Luckily, The Seine still looked the same, and they managed to find it and follow it. As they neared the Louvre, they noticed at the distance, how weird looking the Eiffel Tower looked. It did not look like the Eiffel tower they were used to see every day. Just like everything else in Paris, instead, it looked like a twisted version of it. At the top of it, the light beacon, usually bright white, was now crimson-red, like the eye of an evil sentry, adding it you just how creepy it looked.

When they finally arrived at the Louvre, they barely recognized the place. Instead of the usual French Renaissance and Baroque building, the whole place looked more like Count Dracula's summer house. The building itself looked almost the same size as it was, but everything else was different. The walls and the rooftop looked charcoal-black, adorned with menacing gargoyles, the windows were red stain-glass, and where the Pyramid once stood, was a sinister graveyard, complete with falling tombstones, broken statues, dead trees and eerie mist, which extended itself all the way to the Jardin des Tuileries. On it, there were various creatures like zombies, living-skeletons and even werewolves walking around, or in some cases, dragging themselves over the floor, moaning and growling.

Stopping behind what used to be a post box, near the Pont du Carrousel, the four heroes took a moment to observe the place and see how they were going to enter, without raising any pandemonium.

"What do you think?" -Chat Noir asked them.

"I think that as soon as we step into that graveyard, every last monster in it, is going to try and rip our limbs, one by one." -Ladybug said.

"Don't tell me you're scared?" -Queen Bee asked her sarcastically.

"No, I'm not. I don't have any trouble fighting those creatures. But I would like to keep my strength for later, because something tells me that this is going to be a really long night." -Ladybug declared. –"Besides, I'm not afraid of what I can see. I'm afraid of what I can't, and my sixth sense tells me that inside the Louvre there are things, way worse than those skeletons and werewolves."

"Well, I wouldn't mind going one on one against them, right now." -Chat Noit said. –"But I'm with you. We don't to raise any alarms, at least, not until we find out where the piece of the pendant is."

"So, we act sneaky?" -Louve Grise asked them, as she slowly tilted her head to the right, to peek from behind the post box, and see what was going on and evaluate the situation.

"I hate being sneaky." -Queen Bee admitted. She knew how to be sneaky, but it went against her fighting style, and worse yet, her own personality. –"But, unfortunately, I don't see another way to get in there, without raising the alarm." -she declared. –"Thinking about it, maybe Mylene should have been the one picked to do this."

"I admit that her invisibility would come in handy, right now. But she's not here with us, and I'm pretty sure she's also having problems of her own, right now." -Ladybug admitted. –"Still, we can't just stand here and do nothing. We've got to find a way inside, and not cause any ruckus while doing it."

Taking their time, they observed patiently what was going on, while also being careful not to be seen by any wondering monster, though this last part was a little bit hard, because as time went by, more and more monsters appeared on the streets. The idea of entering through the roof was good, but they did not know if there were any entrances, and if they tried to make one of their own, they were bound to attract attention. The only other option was to cross the graveyard, on their way to the main gate that was open on the Sully Pavilion, where two menacing werewolves stood guard. But, how were they going to pass by them? Knowing that if they wanted to pass unnoticed they needed some sort of disguise, they tried to think of something that would not raise suspicions. It was then that Chat had an idea; an idea that involved Louve's ice powers. He quickly explained them his plan, and as soon

"You want me to freeze us?"

"Yes, and no. I want you to give us something similar to an ice armour. Something that looks scary and that makes us look like monsters… maybe, something like the White Walkers from Game of Thrones?" -Chat Noir suggested.

"Never liked the series, nor the books. There's too much death in them for my taste." -Queen Bee declared. –"But the idea isn't half-bad." -she admitted

"I agree. If you could turn us into the closest possible thing to the White Walkers, that could be our ticket to enter there, without them noticing us. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but something tells me that monsters don't attack other monsters." Ladybug said.

"What about the Medusa, or Gorgon, or whatever? She took out a couple of those skeletons." -Queen Bee reminded her.

"I don't think she did it on purpose. She was just looking for new victims, and ended up taking down some of them." -Ladybug

"Still, I don't know about this idea." -Louve Grise declared. She was afraid that she might accidently hurt them with her powers. –"I mean, you've seen what my ice breath does, don't you? I don't want to turn you guys into popsicles."

"Sabrina, you won't. We trust you." -Queen Bee said.

"But I don't trust myself. If I miscalculate the force I use, I might freeze you to death." -the wolf heroine told them. She knew just how powerful she was, and was afraid to hurt them. –"I know, I'll turn myself into one of those creatures and go inside to get the pendant. That way, you'll be safe and I…"

"Not going to happen, Sabrina." -Ladybug told her. –"We're not going to let you risk you getting caught alone." -she declared. –"Where one of us goes, we all go."

"She's right. And besides, you don't know what you'll find inside. We're not going to let you walk inside, alone." -Queen Bee told her. –"And besides, we trust you… I trust you, to use your powers to get us out of this. Come on, you're always cheering me up and telling me what a great person I am, even though I sometimes don't believe it… well, now it's my turn to do it. You can do this."

Still a little bit scared, but fuelled by her friend's words, Louve Grise decided to go with Chat Noir's plan. All she needed was to turn them into something close to an ice monster, so they could pass by the creatures roaming the cemetery, as well as the werewolves guarding the entrance. Taking a deep breath, she began with Queen Bee, who volunteered to be the first to be monsterized. Using her ice breath, she began by covering certain parts of the bee heroine's outfit, like the lower arms, torso and legs in a thick layer of ice, after which she gave her ice talons in her gloves, always bearing in mind that they had to look creepy. After doing that, she then blew icy wind into the girl's face, until this one turned slightly blueish, adding a few icy details to her nose, eyebrows, lips, neck and even her hair. When she finished, Queen Beed looked like something you would see in an old movie flick about ice monsters. Plus, she felt like a popsicle. Still, she did not say a thing about. After that, Louve gave Ladybug and Chat Noir the same treatment. When she finished monsterizing herself, she told them they were ready. To give the impression they were really monsters, Ladybug suggested that they growled and snarled from time to time.

Having faith in Chat's plan, the four heroes slowly entered the graveyard, with their hearts in their mouths. They could hear them thumping, knowing that they could very well be committing suicide. Trying to control their breath, they made their way to the gate. They passed by a couple of living-skeletons, which looked at them, with a suspicious look. Thinking that they were on the verge of being discovered, they snarled at them, who snarled back, as they kept moving in the opposite direction. Having managed to fool those skeletons, they kept walking slowly, as if their lives depended on it, which in fact did. Taking a short break behind one of the largest tombstones they found on their path, they kept a watchful eye for any sign of trouble. More than once, they felt their blood freeze in their veins, because of a sound they heard behind them, or because of something they saw. The fowl stench in the air did not help, the stench being a mixture of decaying corpses and mist. You could say their blood pressure was about to skyrocket. It took them nearly 10 minutes to get to the gate guarded by the werewolves, and when they reached near it, the first it happened was the werewolves growl at them. If one was to describe what they looked like, they would describe their appearance as the kind of werewolves you see in the film "Van Helsing" with Hugh Jackman, but with a lot more fur, twice as big and with sharper teeth and claws on both hands and feet. In a one-on-one battle, the heroes believed they would have difficulties fighting them, at least alone. From them all, grizzly Bear would probably be the only one who would be able to defeat those half-men, half-wolf creatures with one single punch.

Trying not to give away their disguise, they looked the beast in the eyes and growled themselves, to show them they were not afraid of them. When they did this, the werewolves just stopped growling, and let them pass. Still, not taking any chances, Louve Grise still used her icy breath on them, freezing their snouts, making them yelp. Already inside, they allowed themselves a moment to breath. Once they were far enough from those guard werewolves, the first thing they did was take out the improvised ice costumes Louve had done them. Rubbing their faces, it took them a couple of minutes for the colour in their cheeks to come back.

"We sure fooled those mutts." -Chat Noir whispered to the other three.

"Yeah, but for a moment I thought we were not going to be able to fool them." -Ladybug sighed. Inside her chest, her heart was still trembling a little, and it was not because of the ice she had on her a few moments before.

"But it all turned out okay, that's what matters." -Chat Noir said. –"And now that we're inside, those mutts can't hurt us any longer."

"Speaking of which, what do you think they were before they turned into those things? Were they dogs or people?" -Louve Grise asked them, posing a very good question.

"No idea… but whatever they were, you won't see me petting them, no matter what." -Queen Bee stated.

"Anyways, we're inside." -ladybug said, as she looked around. –"Although, I don't think we're any safer here, than we were outside." -she said, as her eyes assimilated what was inside.

Now that they were inside, they saw that the Louvre had not changed on the outside. It had also changed on the inside. Usually well illuminated and filled with numerous visitors, the Louvre now looked extremely dark, only illuminated by a few candles placed around, and on top of that, it seemed deserted. On top of that, it smelt awfully bad, but the stench in the air, it was different from the one they had smelled outside. The stench had a seemingly metallic odour to it, though they could not understand why was that so. That was, until they noticed they were stepping on some kind od liquid. At first, they thought it was water, but after their eyes got accustomed to the darkness inside, they saw that what they were stepping on was not water, but a slightly viscous red liquid, better known as…

"Blood!" -Queen Bee exclaimed. –"This is blood, we're stepping on blood!" -she practically screamed in horror. If it was not for Louve Grise, who placed her hand on top of the blonde's mouth to silence her, she would have continued to scream.

"Don't scream, Chloé." -Louve Grise whispered to her.

"But it's blood!" -Queen Bee said in a voice muffled by Louve's hand.

"I know it is, but you can't scream.

"Okay, blood is never a good sign." -Ladybug declared. Years and years of watching all kinds of horror films have taught her that fact. If there was blood on the floor, that could only mean two things. Either there was a dead body nearby, or someone was bleeding profusely.

Fearing the worst, Ladybug asked Chat Noir to use his night vision to see what was around them. Using it, he quickly saw that although there was a lot of blood on the floor, there were no dead bodies or anything else, from where the blood could have come. Still, it was strange that there was so much blood on the floor, which made him, and the others wonder what could have happened. He also found out that they were in the Greek antiquities ward, after seeing a couple of ancient Greek statues on display, though these were also covered in something, which he thought was blood. Not wanting to scare the girls even more than they were, especially Queen Bee, he decided not to say anything about it.

"Maybe a monster grabbed a couple of innocent people, dragged them here and feasted on them…" -Queen Bee said. Just thinking about it, sent shivers up her spine.

"I don't think so. If that was the case, there would be bones and pieces of flesh everywhere." -Ladybug said.

"This isn't a horror movie, Marinette!" -Queen Bee exclaimed. –"This is real life, and things don't happen like they do in the movies."

Hearing say that, Ladybug just felt like slapping her on the face, and tell her to shut up. But, deep down she could not blame her for acting like that. Queen Bee was scared, and with good reasons. They did not know why there was so much blood there, and quite frankly, they were afraid of finding out. Still, according to Chat, there was nothing there that could hurt them, so they needed to keep their cool.

"I know you're scared, Chloé, heck, even I am. But we've got to control ourselves, not only because we need to keep our cool, but also, because we don't want to attract the attention, of whatever might be inside this place." -Ladybug told her.

"Okay, okay, I'll try to remain calm." -Queen Bee said. –"So, what do we do now that we're inside?" -she asked to the other three, trying to change the subject.

"Well, now that we're here, we got to find the piece of the pendant." -Ladybug told her.

"But, where do you suppose it is?" -Louve Grise asked her. –"This place is huge. Even if it's not hidden, it's going to take us hours to find it."

"Unless, we split up." -Chat Noir suggested.

"No! We're not going to split up. We don't know what's inside here, so it's best not to take any chances. There's strength in numbers." -Ladybug told them. She believed they stood a better chance if they stuck together, if they ran into something dangerous. That, and watching so many horror films, had taught her that one should never split from the main group in unknown territory.

"Agreed. But, then, where do we start?" -Chat Noir asked her.

"Well, we might as well start here." –the scarlet heroine stated.

Heading down the hallway, they continued heading on that direction for a couple of minutes, always guided by Chat Noir, who was using his night vision to navigate that place. The further they went, the more intense the stench of blood in the air was.

Having to rely on Chat Noir's eyes to guide them was no easy task. Though the place was slightly illuminated by candles both on the ground, and on several candle holders, which looked like they had come out of a horror flick, like everything else. And from time to time, they all felt like they were being watched by someone, or something. But no matter how much they looked, they did not see anything, not even Chat.

"Am I the only one who has the impression that we're being watched?" -Louve Grise asked the others, as she looked over her shoulder.

"You're not the only one. I'm also feeling observed." -Ladybug said. –"Are you sure there really isn't anything hidden in the darkness, Adrien?"

"Absolutely. I would spot it, if it was." -Chat Noir said. –"Alright, take a couple of steps to your right, or you'll bump into the Venus de Milo." -he warned them, as he too took a couple of steps to his right.

"When I was little, I always asked myself how much fun would it be if I could visit the Louvre at night, after closing hours." -Louve Grise said.

"Bet your idealized version of that wish of yours did not involve monsters, did it?" -Ladybug chuckled, trying to relieve the tension that was in the air.

"Definitely, not." -Louve Grise giggled.

The only sound they heard was the sound of their footsteps echoing on the walls, as they kept walking. From time to time, they would turn around to check on if there was something behind them, but every time they did that, they did not see anyone or anything. As they approached one of the many staircases that gave them access either to the upper floors and the basement floors, they were forced to make a decision. Either they would go up, or they would go down.

"Where to now?" -Louve Grise asked.

"I vote we go up." -Queen Bee said. –"If there are any monsters around here, I bet they are in the basement."

"Which is where the pendant piece could be." -Ladybug said

"Or, it could be upstairs… where we can also find monsters. You know, there are certain monsters that actually love living on the upstairs floors." -Chat Noir joked, earning a glare from the three girls. –"Hey, I'm just joking, okay?"

"Save your jokes for another time." -Ladybug told him. –"Now, where do you think we should go? Up or down?"

"Well, I think I would… don't move…" -Chat Noir said with a serious voice, as he grabbed his staff and pointed it upwards.

When he said that, the girls did not know what was going on, but something told them that it could not be good. Doing as he told them, the girls did not move a muscle… unfortunately, when she heard a mild scratching behind her, Queen Bee was not able to hold her curiosity, and slowly turned her head around. Doing it, she saw something that made her heart nearly jump out of her mouth, and scared the daylights out of her. Obscured by the shadows, clinging to one of the walls was a large bat-like creature with leathery wings, bright red eyes, pointy ears, sharp claws, and the scariest pair of canines one had ever seen. Not giving her the time to scream, the creature leaped towards her with its mouth wide-open, screeching. Luckily Chat was quite fast with his staff, and hit it in midair, which sent it flying backwards, hitting the wall. Before the creature could get back at him, Louve Grise used her ice breath to freeze it into a popsicle. Frozen, the bat creature posed no further threat to the heroes.

"Oh my gosh… what is that thing?!" -Queen Bee asked, as she tried to slow down her heartbeat.

"Haven't you ever watched a horror movie? This is a vampire… a really, really animalistic one, but still a vampire." -Ladybug said, as she

"Vampires… why did they had to be vampires?!" -Queen Bee asked in frustration.

"At least, now we know why all the blood. These creatures have been drinking it. And if there's one of them here, I bet there are a lot more. Hate to say it, but the whole Louvre could be a vampire hive." -Chat Noir suggested.

"Yeah, but if they have been doing that, where are the bodies?" -Queen Bee asked him. –"I mean, vampires don't eat their victims, they only drink their blood, right? So, where are they?"

"That's not entirely true." -Ladybug told her.

"What do you mean?" -Queen Bee asked.

"It means, there's more than one kind of vampires, Chloé." -Louve Grise told her friend.

"She's right, and not every kind only drinks their victims blood. The most prominent kind of vampires, from which Dracula is known as being the king of, usually drink their victim's blood. But, for example the draugr from Nordic mythology drink their victim's blood, but also eat their bodies afterwards" -Ladybug said.

"Then, you think that we have more than one kind of vampires roaming around here?" -Queen Bee asked her, trying not to panic. Usually she was calm and fierce in the face of danger, but for some reason, all of that was happening scared her.

"I don't know, maybe… This one here is an animalistic vampire, a species that is usually described in mythology as a sort of servants to a superior race of vampires, so the chances of us having more than one kind of vampires lurking around in the shadows, is quite big. But, even if we only have one kind, which is doubtful, we can possibly assume that they exsanguinated their victims until they were left without a drop of blood in their bodies, just so these could turn into new vampires." -Ladybug explained. Her knowledge of vampires was quite large.

"If what you're saying is true, then, we need to be careful." -Chat Noir said. –"So, keep your eyes peeled for anything that moves."

"Easier said then done, kitty-cat. You're the only one of us who can see in the dark, and these things seem that they are experts hiding." -Ladybug declared.

"Anyways, where should we go now?" –Louve Grise asked.

"Well, now that we know that there are vampires around here, I think that changes everything." -Ladybug said.

"Why is that?" -Chat asked her.

"Because when it comes to vampires, things change. In most movies and books, if a vampire wants to keep something safe from prying eyes, he tends to put it somewhere really deep, preferably in his crypt, where he can guard it." -Ladybug explained.

"So, you're telling us that instead of going up, we should go down?" -Queen Bee asked her, still very nervous about what happened a few moments before.

"I'm not telling anything, I'm just guessing here. Remember, vampires aren't real. I'm just thinking about the things I read and watched, hoping that is enough to get us out of here alive." -Ladybug told her. –"But yeah, I think that through that line of thought, the piece of the pendant is probably deep underground, guarded by the strongest and eldest vampires."

That thought send shivers up everyone's spines. If one little animalistic vampire, which had tried to make a snake out of Queen Bee was already terrifying, a group of even worst and even stronger and meaner vampires sounded even more terrifying. Still, they would not know if this was true, if they did not go and checked it out. And if it was, the piece of Samhain's pendant could be there, waiting for them.

"We'll stick together and do as she's saying." -Chat Noir said. –"And we'll keep our eyes open for any kind of trouble. I'll be especially attentive to any kind of movement I see or hear." -he said, with the others waving their head in compliance.

"Alright. But remember, don't use your powers, unless you really need to. We don't want to attract any unwanted attention." -Ladybug said, emphasizing once again their need to keep a low profile.

With Chat Noir leading the way, they went down the staircase, and the first thing they noticed was that stench in the air went from awful to dreadful in a matter of seconds. It was so bad, that in order to keep going, they were forced to breathe through their mouths, and even that did not make it any easier for them to bear the stench. Still, they went on, and after a couple of minutes they either got used to it, or their sense of smell got wasted by how strong the stench was.

Going down, they followed through the labyrinth of hallways and rooms, always afraid that they would bump into a vampire or something even scarier. While going through a couple of rooms, they heard the sound of wings flapping, and feared that a vampire was hanging from the ceiling, just waiting for them to get distracted and make a meal out of them. And sometimes, they did not hear a thing, but felt like they were being watched. And when Ladybug said that vampires could shape-shift into other creatures such as rats, Queen Bee panicked even more, fearing that every rat they saw since they got there could have been a vampire in disguise. On some rooms they spotted more animalistic vampires scouting the area, which forced them to be extra sneaky to escape them. But, on an occasion or another, Louve Grise was forced to use her powers to freeze them in place, so they would not warn anyone of the heroes' presence there.

As they roamed the basement floors, looking for anything that could be the place where the piece of the pendant could be hidden. Unfortunately, and like they feared, this was not being an easy task. The Louvre was immense, and even circumscribing the search area to two floors, it was going to take them all night to comb it in search of the pendant. Still, there was no other way to do it, and on top of it, because every room and hallway looked the same, the heroes ended up asking themselves from time to time if they had been there before. And with that, they lost track of time.

"This whole place looks the same." -Louve Grise said.

"Are you sure we haven't been here before?" -Queen Bee asked Chat Noir.

"Absolutely. We haven't passed this sarcophagus yet." -Chat Noir said, as he pointed to a sarcophagus to their left.

"We must be in the Egyptian Antiquities hall." -Ladybug said.

"Don't you feel it's strange that there aren't any mummies around here? I mean, the Louvre is filled with ancient Egyptian mummies, so, where are they? They should be roaming around the place." -Louve Grise stated.

"I hope not. It's bad enough we're in vampire territory. We don't need mummies to make things even worse. I'm still recovering from that horrible vampire, which showed up out of nowhere and tried to bite my arm, a couple of minutes ago." -Queen Bee said. –"By the way, does anyone have the time? We must be searching for hours now."

Grabbing her yo-yo to see the time, Ladybug checked it and was surprised, to say the least, when she saw that it had barely been in there for 30 minutes. Her initial reaction was to doubt her own eyes.

"This can't be right… according to the time, we have been here for 30 minutes." -Ladybug told them.

"You're right, the watch in your yo-yo must be malfunctioning. We entered here at least an hour and a half ago…" -Queen Bee protested.

"Well, if the watch in her yo-yo is malfunctioning, then the one on my staff is also malfunctioning." -Chat Noir said, as he checked the time.

"Coincidence, maybe?" -Louve Grise asked.

"I don't believe in coincidences." -Ladybug said, as they kept walking. –"One clock malfunctioning, that's okay. But two at the same time, with the same problem, I don't think so." -she said, as she thought about it. –"Maybe… hey, what's that light over there?"

At the end of the hallway, there was a light that seemed a bit brighter than everything else they had seen, since they got there, and it was coming from an adjacent room. Forgetting about their malfunctioning clocks, and feeling that they should investigate, the four heroes moved quickly, yet silently, through the hallway. They stopped just before the corner, listening to see if there was anything moving around. Feeling it was safe, they cautiously turned the corner and entered the room, where they were surprised by what laid in front of them. Unlike all the other rooms that were ill-illuminated, with the floor covered in blood and with a most disgusting stench in the air, this one was well illuminated with various torches on the walls, and the stone floor completely spotless. The room itself looked like a crypt one would see in an old vampire movie, filled with numerous red and purple tapestries, Goth furniture and even a stone fireplace with a well-lit fire, filling the air with the smell of burnt oak. Still, that was not what surprised them. What surprised them was that in that room there were not one, not two but thirteen wooden caskets, all of them magnificently carved with countless details. They were all arranged in a horseshoe, with the biggest and most beautiful of them all in the middle. Looking at the caskets, they felt like they had just arrived at their destination.

"I think we have arrived." -Ladybug whispered to the others.

"Are you telling us that there are vampires in those caskets?" -Queen Bee asked her.

"I would say so. Thirteen caskets, and I bet the one in the middle is where the pendant is." -Ladybug declared.

"Why do you say that?" -Chat Noir asked her.

"Because, usually in vampire movies, the casket of the eldest and most powerful vampire is the one in the middle, surrounded by either his minions' or his brides' caskets." -the scarlet heroine answered him. –"And from the looks of that big casket at the centre, I'd say that's where we have to look for the piece of the pendant."

Her reasoning made sense, but even so, it did not make them any eager to look for it. If Ladybug was right, inside the casket there would be a vampire sleeping in it, and the last thing they wanted was to wake him up, so he could send the vampires sleeping in the other caskets after them. Still, they needed to check if the piece of the pendant was in the casket, and if it was not, they would have to look for it, somewhere else.

"Who wants to go first?" -Ladybug asked them. No one said a word. –"Come on, I know you're scared, but don't tell me you aren't the least bit intrigued by what or who could be in that casket?"

"Are you kidding me?! I just want to find that stupid pendant piece and get out of here!" -Queen Bee bellowed her in a hushed voice.

"I'll help you open it." -Chat Noir said.

"I think I'll pass this one." -Louve Grise told her.

Approaching the casket, Ladybug could not help but to smile lightly. She knew that was not the time to smile, but her geeky side could not help but to rejoice. One of the things on her bucket list was about to be fulfilled, to open a casket with a vampire inside. She never thought that one would ever be fulfilled, but here she was, readying herself to open it. Even so, no matter how cool that sounded, it did not diminish the fact that what she was about to do was very dangerous.

Gulping, with the help of Chat Noir, Ladybug gently opened the casket, lifting the lid, which at first creaked, making a bit of noise. Stopping, the scarlet heroine signalled Chat to stop as well, and then, took a deep breath before continuing to lift the lid. Looking inside, she saw the casket's owner was inside, sleeping, or at least, she thought he was sleeping, given that he was not breathing. In appearance, the vampire looked old, but at the same time, his face looked relatively young. It was hard to explain; how could someone look old and young at the same time. The white hair and eyebrows made him look old, but then, his pale white face looked like the face of a 20-year-old man. He was dressed in a black and white tuxedo, black shoes, as well as a black and red cape. Looking at him, Ladybug could not resist but to feel slightly attracted to him.

Chat, on the other hand did not feel anything when looking at the sleeping vampire, and when he noticed just how Ladybug was looking at him, he could not help to feel a little bit jealous, and with good reason. She was looking at the vampire the same way she looked at him, when they were in their civilian forms.

"Hey! Earth to Ladybug, can you hear me, milady?" -Chat called her out, in a whisper.

"Oh, sorry, I was just… I was expecting the vampire to look, I don't know, older, and maybe not so handsome." -Ladybug giggled. –"Do you believe I was expecting him to look like Christopher Lee's Dracula?" -she joked.

"Well, he does look a bit like him, at least in the way he's dressed. At least, he doesn't look like a vampire from the Twilight books." –Chat whispered at her. He had told her that he had hated the film adaptations, although he had found the books readable. –"You don't supposed he's going to wake up, do you?"

"I think if he was to wake up, he would have done it by now, with us chatting here." -Ladybug whispered, as she turned to silently call both Queen Bee and Louve Grise, who approached them and the casket, although a bit reluctantly. –"It's okay, he's sleeping." -she told them.

"So, does he have the pendant piece with him?" -Queen Bee asked her. She just wanted to get out of there, and was hoping they did not have to open the other caskets to look for the pendant inside them, or going on exploring the museum-turned vampire crypt.

"I don't see it." -Louve Grise said, as she leaned over Chat to get a better look at the vampire.

"I don't either… wait, he's got something around his neck." -Ladybug pointed out.

Noticing the vampire had what looked like a chain around his neck, Ladybug figured it was worth to inspect. Carefully and slowly, she leaned forward, and with her fingertips, she touched the chain, gently pulling it, revealing that at the end of it was one of the pieces of the Samhain pendant. Upon seeing it, she just wanted to yell out of joy, but refrained herself from doing it. Now that they had found it, all they had to do was to take it. She figured a good yank would do the trick, but before she could do it, she felt a cold hand grabbing hers, which scared her and the others. Staring at her, with his eyes wide open, was the vampire, and he did not look happy.


	17. The Ghosts of Notre-Dame

When the vampire's hand touched Ladybug's, the heroine nearly screamed. His deep blue-greyish eyes were staring at her and the others, as the outline of his face revealed that he was not happy to see his current company. The scarlet heroine wanted to say something, but her brain froze. No matter how much she tried, she just could not find anything suitable to say to the vampire.

"What do you think you're doing?" -the vampire asked her, as he tightened the grip of his hand, around her wrist. –"Answer me, now!" -he exclaimed.

"Huh… hello!" -Ladybug said, while sporting the goofiest smile ever. –"Stupid! Stupid! What kind of a heroine are you that can't come up with something smart to say to a bad guy, Marinette?!" -she thought to herself.

"I asked you a question… what do you think you're doing?!" -the vampire insisted on the matter, tightening his grip, hurting Ladybug.

Feeling that the conversation was about to turn sour, and fearing for their friend's safety, the three heroes grabbed their weapons and pointed them at the vampire, with Chat Noir going as far as to lean the tip of his staff against the vampire's throat. He was not liking the way the vampire was talking to Ladybug, so he made sure to tell him what he was going to do, if he did not let go of her wrist.

"Okay, Vlad, let's loosen the grip on the girl's wrist! Haven't your mother told you, you shouldn't hurt a lady, not even with a flower?" -Chat told him, as he pushed the tip of his staff against the monster's throat. –"Loosen it, or you're going to regret it, buster. I mean it!" -he exclaimed, proving that he was not kidding about it.

"You better do as he says. Chat Noir tends to become unpredictable, when one of us is hurt by an enemy." -Louve Grise told the vampire. Something inside her told her the vampire was not going to do as he was told, so she readied herself for what was the likely outcome of that conversation.

"She's right. I don't like it when my friends get hurt, so if you know what's good for you, you're going to release Ladybug's hand and give us that thing you're wearing around your neck!" -Chat Noir exclaimed in a serious voice.

Hearing the threats uttered by Chat Noir, the vampire laughed maliciously, flooding the whole chamber with its diabolical laugh. The heroes did not know what he was about to do, but a sinister and diabolical laugh is never a good sign. He went on laughing for nearly 10 seconds, which felt more like 10 minutes. When he ceased laughing, he looked at Chat with his eyes, and said in a serious tone:

"Boy, do you know who you are talking to?"

"Nope, and I don't really care, bat-breath!" -Chat Noir told him. The only thing he cared about right then, was Ladybug's safety.

"But you should. I am Karayan Corvin, the scourge of Carpathia. I am one of the eldest and most powerful vampires that has ever lived, and you dare to speak to me as if I was a mere peasant?" -Karavan declared, spitting the last couple of words, as if he himself was repulsed by them.

"You could be Count Dracula for all I care. Let Ladybug go, or you're going to need a brand-new set of dentures, buddy!" -Chat Noir said.

Though they did not say anything, both Queen Bee and Louve Grise felt that Chat Noir was pushing his luck with the vampire, who seemed angrier by the minute.

" _If he keeps antagonizing him like that, we're going to end up as a midnight snack for this bloodsucker._ " -Queen Bee thought to herself. –" _Though, I think we're going to end up as midnight snacks for this guy, one way or another._ "

Ladybug herself was trying to get lose from the vampire's grip, but no matter how much she pulled, there was no sign of the creature of the night loosening his grip on her wrist. The more she pulled, the tighter his grip became, and Chat's menaces were not helping.

" _This Chat is going to be death of me… Hasn't he ever watched a vampire movie? You don't antagonize a vampire, unless you've got something to destroy him with, and we don't even have a crucifix with us._ " -Ladybug thought to herself.

"Insolent fool!" -Karavan yelled at Chat Noir, with a voice that echoed throughout the chamber. You could tell he was in no mood for jokes. –"You think you can just show up here and try to steal from me, like some common street rat?!" -he bellowed, as raised from the coffin, never letting go of the scarlet heroine's The way he was yelling at the heroes, it would not take long for any other vampire to show up, drawn by the sound. –"If you think I'll let you do that, you're sadly mistaken!"

"Oh, would you show up, already?!" -Ladybug said as she, in a desperate move, used her yo-yo as a slingshot, to hit the vampire on the face, who did not see it coming. The pain caused by it was enough for him to instantly release her wrist. Now freed, she joined her friends, as they all placed themselves in battle stance.

"You little… you dare attack me?!" -Karavan bellowed, as he got out of the coffin, never taking his eyes off them. His once greyish blue eyes were now fiery red, signalling that he was n longer mad at them, he was furious, or worse. –"You will regret that!"

Saying that, Karavan opened his mouth as wide as he could, showing off his sharp fangs and let out an infernal screech that almost deafened the four heroes, who were forced to cover their ears with their hands to muffle the sound. That screech went on for several seconds, after which, all the remaining caskets opened to reveal their blood thirsty occupants, who wasted no time in positioning themselves to attack Ladybug and the others. Just like she had predicted, these were Karavan's minions and brides, and they were only waiting for their master to give them the order, to attack her and her friends.

"This place will be your tomb, and your corpses will serve as food for the rats!" -Karavan yelled at them.

"We'll see about that!" -Ladybug exclaimed. She was determined to get that piece of the pendant, and she was not going anywhere without it.

"Bring it on, guano breath!" -Chat Noir exclaimed.

* * *

While their friends headed to their destined, Rena Rouge, Carapace, Antelope and Dragonfly also headed to theirs. They had been assigned to look for the piece of Samhain's Pendant that was somewhere inside the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. As they made their way to the Íle de la Cité, where the cathedral was located, they all believed it was going to be easy for them to snatch the thing they were looking for, from inside the religious building. Compared to Ladybug, Chat Noir, Queen Bee and Louve Grise who had to enter a humongous building like the Louvre to find one of the other pieces, theirs was bound to be a cinch, given that the Cathedral was a lot smaller. Besides, there were four of them, more than enough to face any problem that showed up. Still, as they made their way to the island, Rena Rouge could not help but to feel like what they were going to do, would not be as easy as they thought. There was something on the back of her mind, that kept telling her to keep her eyes peeled for trouble, though that was not first time that happened. Every time she went up against of Hawk Moth's creations, the same thing happened… a tiny little voice inside of her kept telling her that she had to keep her eyes open, and to watch her back. She liked to believe that was her survival instinct talking to her, but the truth was, she believed it was more her fear talking to her, and telling her to stay away from any kind of trouble. Whether it was survival instinct or just plain old fear, she tended to hear it, and always keep her eyes open.

"Better keep my eyes open." -Rena Rouge told herself. –"Whatever it is that's waiting for us at that cathedral, it can't be good."

And she was not the only one who was thinking like that. Her boyfriend, Carapace, was also thinking the same thing, as they ran over the buildings' rooftops.

"This might seem easy, but I bet Euros against Rubles, that we're walking straight into a trap." -Carapace thought to himself.

And it was a good thing, the two of them were keeping their feet on the ground, because both Dragonfly and Antelopes had both their heads both up in the clouds. Usually that would be a good thing, because the two of them fought any kind of menace they saw, in a different way than the rest of the team. They basically followed their instinct and let themselves be taken and controlled by the adrenaline in their system. Most people would call them reckless and just plain insane, but not Ladybug nor the others. They called them that and much more, but deep down, they knew that was what made them unique, and absolutely indispensable for the team. Antelope running on the rooftops, and Dragonfly flying just a bit above those same rooftops, were both eager to get to the cathedral and see what they were up against.

"This is going to be good! Whatever that crazy skeleton has set up for us, I'm going to enjoy showing some moves I've been working on!" -Antelope mused to himself, as he saw the cathedral growing in the horizon.

"Could these three, hurry up?! They're as slow as turtles… one of them is even a turtle!" -Dragonfly thought to herself. She could fly a lot faster than that. In fact, she could reach the cathedral in a matter of seconds, if she wanted to. But because she was accompanying Rena and the others, she had to fly slower, so they could to keep up with her. Still, impatient as she always was, she had to express her impatience in the most archaic way there was. –"Would you guys hurry up?! I could've gone and come back 15 times by now!"

"Are you calling me a slowpoke?!" -Antelope asked her.

"Yeah, I am calling you a slowpoke… you and those two as well!" -Dragonfly exclaimed. –"At this rate, we'll be there by Christmas."

"Well, excuse us… not all of us have super speed." -Carapace commented in a sarcastic tone.

"Just hurry up, please!" -the dragonfly heroine begged them

"If you want to go ahead, then go." -Rena Rouge warned her.

"And leave you guys behind? Fat chance! Sorry, I'm eager for a good fight, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you guys behind, where you could get attacked." -Dragonfly told her. As always, no matter how rebellious she was, she showed just how much she cared about the rest of the team. –"Just try to pick up the pace… and that means you too, slowpoke!" -she addressed to Antelope.

"You call me slowpoke one more time, and I…"

"And you'll what?" -Dragonfly smirked at him. She was not insulting him, she was just blowing some steam. She would never admit she was nervous, at least, not in public. –"You can't get me where you're standing, and the last time I checked, antelopes don't fly." -she laughed.

"No, but we jump pretty high!" -Antelope said, as he jumped over her head, surprising her. She had forgotten he could do that, and was caught by surprise. –"And if you keep calling me that name, I'll just jump and pinch you in the arm!"

"You wouldn't!" -Dragonfly told him.

"You want to bet that?!" -Antelope said, daring her, like he always did.

Seeing them interacting like that, the fox heroine, and the turtle hero knew both Dragonfly and Antelope just could not help themselves. Bickering with one another was their way to keep calm. Competing with one another was their way of doing their job. Still, knowing just how competitive the two of them could get during a battle, both Rena and Carapace told themselves, separately, that if things went haywire, they would have to be the ones to keep their head in the game, and guide their friends.

Finally, arriving at the Íle de la Cité, the four of them could not help but to feel a certain reminiscence about that place. It had been right there, in front of the cathedral that they had begun that insane adventure of theirs… well, not there exactly, but it was there, in that very same square, where they found their way to the Garden of the Ancients; where Master Fu awaited them, to deliver them their miraculouses. And now they were back, ready for another challenge. Like everywhere else, the streets of that island were filled with all sorts of supernatural creatures, which kept terrorizing anyone that dared to come out of their homes. Reaching the cathedral, they saw that this one had changed, no longer looking like the way it used to look. Instead, the building of the 14th century looked rather larger than before, and looked more like the vampire castle seen on Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. The gargoyles adorning it, which usually looked ugly enough, now looked rather sinister and malefic, as if they were about to leap from the building's balconies and attack whoever was near. On the western façade, where you would see the statues of holy men right next to the three doors, had been replaced with the statues of unholy demons with sharp claws and vicious faces. But the most striking change was the rose window, which now was shaped like the mouth of a beast. If they did not know that was where the cathedral was located, they would never believe that that was the very same building. Landing on one of the adjacent buildings to the square, they tried to decide what their next move would be.

"Creepy." -Carapace said, as he looked at the building that was once Notre-Dame.

"Make that super creepy. I haven't seen a building this creepy, since the last time I played Castlevania." -Antelope told the turtle hero.

"Oh, come on, don't be such a wimp!" -Dragonfly told him. –"It doesn't matter what it looks like, it's still Notre Dame." -she said. –"Although, I have to admit that you wouldn't caught me dead in a place like this alone."

"Alix, not so loud!" -Rena Rouge told her. –"I don't want those things to know we're here." -she declared, as she pointed to the numerous zombies and skeletons that were on the square.

"Sorry…" –Dragonfly told her.

"So, what do we do?" -Antelope asked her.

"Well, it's obvious, isn't it?" -Rena told him. –"We need to get in there and grab the piece of the pendant."

"Easier said than done. They got a bunch of werewolves guarding the doors." -Carapace pointed it out. –"And I don't think we can reason with them… at least, not without losing an arm or a leg." -he said.

"Oh, come on, we can take them with an arm behind our back!" -Dragonfly exclaimed. –"I mean, Nino here could use his powers and cast shields around those werewolves, and they wouldn't be able to bite us." -she said.

"And by doing that, we'd alert them to our presence, and they would start howling like maniacs, and instead of having to worry about… 8 werewolves, you end up worrying about 8 werewolves and just about every dead guy who's roaming in the square down below, and that is, if nothing else shows up." -Rena Rouge explained. –"For this, we need a way to get in, undetected."

"And how we're going to do that? The place looks absolutely locked up!" -Antelope said. –"Even the bell towers are all sealed up." -he pointed out. –"The only way for us to get in, if we were invisible, and that's stretching it. Oh, and did I forget to mention, that the only way in seems to be through the main doors, providing they're open, of course?"

"We'll just have to hope they're unlocked. And we don't really need to be invisible. We just need a good plan." -Rena Rouge smiled.

"A good plan? Well, you guys don't happen to have a couple of jambons of Bayonne with you, do you? Because if you had, well, we could always try and give them to those doggies, hoping they would be satiated with them." -Antelope told them in a sarcastic tone.

"No, I'm afraid I left them at home." -Carapace joked.

"But maybe, we don't need food to make them abandon their guarding duty." -Rena Rouge smiled, as she raised her flute staff and placed its tip against her lips. Seeing that, the others knew she had come up with a way to get them inside the cathedral.

* * *

The vicious werewolves were staring at the square and the creatures that were roaming the place with an almost hungry look in their eyes. If one were to observe them, it would ask itself why they did not attack them? Maybe it was because they thought the living skeletons and the zombies were edible. Or maybe, it was because being monsters, they did not attack other monsters. Whatever the reason was, they just stood there, guarding the doors, while keep staring at everything that went on, on that square. Approaching them was suicide. They would tear them to pieces, and if they failed, the zombies and the living skeletons would do a pretty good job in also attacking them.

But, being the brilliant and resourceful girl, she was, Rena Rouge came up with a way to get the werewolves away from the doors. Playing her flute staff, five small forms began to take shape in front of her and her friends. It did not take them long to assume their final shape. With long ears, puffy tails and cute pink noses, five bunny rabbits stood there, looking the heroes in the eyes. Carapace commented that if Flamingo or Louve were there, they would just want to hug the little creatures. Asking her what she was planning to do with white rabbits, Antelope did not understand what her plan was. But, she did not answer him. There was no time for that. Telling Dragonfly to grab the five of them, she then told her to fly over the werewolves and drop them, leaving the rest to her. They would serve as a decoy to get them away from the doors.

And, just like the fox heroine predicted, once the bunny rabbits she had created with her magic dropped in front of the werewolves, these looked at them and snarled, having found what they believed was their meal for the night. The rabbits, controlled by Rena Rouge, looked innocently at the monstrous creatures in front of them, showing no kind of fear, whatsoever. The beasts, growling at the tiny little rabbits, licked their chops and tried to bite them, only for them to run away. Not resisting the urge, one of the werewolves leapt in front of the rabbits and tried to gulp them down, only to fail. Soon after, another of the werewolves tried to do the same, failing as well, and then another one tried the same thing. Soon, all the werewolves were tying to catch the illusive rabbits, who sprinted out of there, taking the monstrous canines with them, who kept trying to make them their next meal. And as expected, other than the werewolves, nothing else on that square, even bothered to pay attention to that distraction. If they had

"It worked!" -Dragonfly said, as she landed near her friends.

"Of course, it did. My girl's plans always work." -Carapace told her.

"You only say that because you're her boyfriend." -Antelope told him, after which he received a well-deserved punch on the shoulder from Rena Rouge. –"Ouch!" -he said

"Alix's not the only one who gets to punch someone on the shoulder when someone says something it shouldn't." -Rena Rouge smirked. –"Now come on, let's go, and fast. Those werewolves will come back soon."

And she was right. The illusionary rabbits she had created had done the trick, but they would not last very long, and the werewolves would come back to guard the entrance. Making their move, in a matter of seconds they were standing in front of the doors. The massive wooden doors looked closed, but upon further inspection, they noticed they were merely ajar. Being quite heavy, usually, more than one person was needed to open them. But, thanks to their super strength, only one of them was enough to open it. As they stepped inside, they saw that just like the outside, the cathedral's interior had also changed drastically, not in style, just in size and in a few details. Where once statues of holy men and saints were, now stood ghoulish stone gargoyles. On the main altar, the statue of Jesus Christ on the cross had been replaced by the statue of an unknown being, that if one was to compare it to anything that already existed, would be an apocalyptic version of Jack Skellington, surrounded by flames. The illumination was provided by an endless number of candles that were spread on candle holders, all over the floor, benches and altars. The whole place looked like something you would read the description in an anthology of horror stories. The air smelled like a mix of candlewax and decomposing bodies, which nearly made Rena Rouge throw up everything she had eaten earlier at the party.

"This place reeks…" –Antelope said.

"Tell me about it. I'm trying not to throw up right now." –Rena Rouge told him, as she did her best not to throw up.

"Just do as I do. Breathe through your mouth." -Dragonfly told her. –"I'm used to doing it, whenever I hang out with the guys after P.E. and they smell worse than a sweaty horse." -she said.

"As if you girls didn't sweat." -Antelope declared.

"No, we don't sweat. We perspire." -Dragonfly told him.

"Perspire? Since when do you use fancy terms? You sound just like Chloé now." -the antelope hero told his friend in a mock tone.

"Why? Because I'm talking fancy? Just because I'm a girl who likes to do things that boys usually like to do, and who doesn't like feminine things, that doesn't mean I'm like that all the time." -she told him.

"Would you two shut up?! You keep talking like this, and you're going to wake up the dead." -Carapace told them in a hushed voice.

"Sorry." -both Dragonfly and Antelope answered in chorus.

"Let's just find what we came looking for and get the heck out of here, fast." -Rena said, as she did everything in her power not to throw up. Even breathing through her mouth, the stench was too strong for her, and her stomach was not liking it. –"Spread out, and see if you can find it… and be careful. We don't know if we're being watched."

Taking her warnings into account, the others kept their eyes opened for anything they felt was unusual or strange. Still, in such a dark environment, everything looked different and their minds, but especially their eyes, could very well play tricks on them. Moving slowly, they tried looking for the piece of the pendant, not knowing where it could be. At first, they thought that it could possibly be on the fiery altar, but after a close inspection from Carapace, he saw it was not there. Antelope could try and sweep the place for the piece of the pendant at high speed, and the same thing was for Dragonfly, but they feared that by doing that, they would make too much noise. Instead, they kept searching for the pendant, silently. Something that bothered them was that in such a huge place, there was no one, nor any sort of supernatural creature in sight.

" _No matter what I do, can't shake the feeling that we're not alone…_ " -Carapace thought to himself.

" _I think I would rather have this place crawling with creepy creatures, instead of having all this eerie silence. At least that way, we would know what we were really up against._ " -Dragonfly thought to herself.

The deeper they went into the cathedral, the scarier things got, with the sound of footsteps echoing in the air… footsteps that were not theirs. This caused them to wonder what else was lurking in the shadows, besides them. Immediately their brains began to imagine the wildest things, and none of them were good.

"Did you hear that?" -Carapace whispered.

"I did." -Rena Rouge whispered back at him.

"What do you think it was?" -Antelope asked them.

"I have no idea, but the sooner we find what we came here for, the sooner I'll blast through one of those stain-glass windows." -Dragonfly told him.

"Yeah, but where is that pendant piece?" -Antelope asked her, as he almost tripped on one of

"I have no idea. It could be up there in the ceiling or where the bells are…" -the dragonfly heroine answered him, as she pointed to the ceiling. –"… or, it could be down here, hidden in some spooky corner."

"Like the crypt?" -Antelope asked her.

"How should I know? I don't guess things…" –Dragonfly said. –"But why do you ask that? Don't you remember that the crypt can't be accessed from inside the cathedral? We've been here before. You should remember that." -she reminded him.

"Well, then, what is that over there?" -Carapace asked the others

Near them was a whole in the ground, from where an eerie light was coming from. Approaching it as silently as possible, they saw that the hole was in fact a flight of stairs that went down, with the light coming from it, coming from various torches on the walls. Looking at it, something told Rena Rouge they were on the right track.

"I guess you might be able to access the crypt from here now." -Carapace declared.

"Let's go down and check it out. I may be wrong about it, but something tells me that we might find the piece of the pendant down there." –Rena Rouge told the others

"And if it isn't?" -Antelope asked her.

"Then, we'll come back up, and look for it up here, until we find it." -the fox heroine told him. –"Now, come on and follow me. And whatever happens, don't speak too loud." -she said.

Going down the stairs, they wondered what they would see when they reached the end of the stairs. Though illuminated by the flaming torches, the spiral staircase was still quite dark. As they went down, they began to hear what looked like water dripping. It did not take them long to find out why was that. When the stairs ended, they saw themselves in a place that was far different from what they expected.

They had visited the crypt a few years prior to all that, along with the other classes, and their young minds were then impressed with it, and with the things that were in it. Now, instead of being impressed by it, their minds were literally blown away. The whole place looked more like the catacombs, with the walls covered in human skulls and bones, all of them also illuminated by torches. The floor was flooded with the blackest water any of them had ever seen, reaching their ankles. They realized that the sound of water dripping from the ceiling, which was covered in sharp stalagmites, which looked like they could fall on them at any moment. They noticed the air smelled differently. Though it smelled a little less awful than upstairs, the combination of it with the smell of ditch-water, was hardly any better. Leaning against the pillars that sustained the ceiling were skeletons that seemed like they had been positioned in some of the scariest looking positions one could find for them. And just like on the inside of the cathedral, there seemed to be no one around.

"Nobody around here either…" -Antelope whispered.

"Yeah… and I don't like it." -Rena Rouge said. –"A place as big as this, and there's nobody around."

"Either that, or we can't see them because they're invisible." -Carapace suggested.

"That would explain why we feel like we're being watched, but don't see anyone around." -Antelope admitted.

"So, which way now?" -Dragonfly asked them.

"This way… and before you ask, no, I don't know if this is the way. I'm just following my gut." -Rena told her.

Following her, the heroes went left, passing by the skeleton-adorned pillars, who they believed had moved when they passed by them. Still, focusing on their task, they went ahead, not knowing what would be awaiting them as they went deep into the crypt. Their steps echoed all over the place, as the water went up to their knees, making them believe they were closed to the river than when they entered. Tired of having her feet wet, Dragonfly decided to use her flying abilities to fly above the waterline. After nearly 10 minutes or so, they finally reached what looked like a dead end.

"I guess this wasn't the way." -Antelope said, as looked at the wall in front of them.

"It seems so. We better backtrack then." -Rena Rouge sighed.

"No, wait… listen." -Carapace said, as he leaned against the skull-covered wall and listened in silence. –"Running water… there's water behind this wall."

"It could be the river." -Dragonfly said.

"Or, it could be a secret room. We've got to take this wall down!" -the turtle hero told the others.

"But if it's the river, we'll drown down here." -Rena Rouge warned him.

"No, we won't. If it turns out to be the river, I'll just cast a shield bubble around us. Trust me, we won't drown." –Carapace assured her.

"Alright, if you say so." -Rena Rouge said. –"Too bad we don't have Grizzly with us here. He would be able to crumble this wall with a single punch of his." -she admitted.

"We don't need him to open a hole on that wall. I can do it. Just step aside, and leave this to me." -Antelope boasted, as he grabbed his bat, swinging it in the air.

Placing himself parallel to the wall, he swung his bat and hit the wall as hard as he could. The so the bat did upon hitting the wall revealed that this one was hollow, backing up Carapace's saying that there was something behind it. Swinging it a couple of more times, little by little the skulls that composed the wall began to shatter, until a small portion of the wall crumbled, creating a hole. With the others help, soon the hole was large enough for them to pass through. Inside, torches illuminated a rather large room, that just like the rest of the place was adorned with human skulls and full-body skeletons. But what stood out was the altar in the middle of the room. This one was shaped like a skull and was giving an eerie, almost mystical glow. Upon seeing it, the first thing it came to their minds was just how much that altar resembled the one in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. And leaned against it was a skeleton, who was holding something in his left hand… the pendant piece they were looking for.

"Jackpot!" -Antelope exclaimed. –"We found it!" -he said, as he readied himself to grab it, when Rena Rouge stopped him. –"Hey, what gives?!"

"Don't! It could be a trap." -the fox heroine said, as she readied herself to play her flute-staff. –"Leave this to me. You already had enough fun breaking that wall."

Playing it, she created a copy of herself, and ordered her to grab the object, while also signaling the others to step away from the altar. If the altar was rigged with any sort of trap, her illusionary double would be caught in it, instead of one of them. Her double slowly reached for the pendant's piece and grabbed. The fox heroine was hoping for a trap to sprung, but nothing happened.

"Guess there wasn't a trap." -Carapace said.

"Well, better safe than sorry, that's what I always say." -Rena Rouge said, as she stopped playing. Approaching her double, she grabbed the pendant's piece, as the double disappeared in front of her eyes.

"Well, now that we have it, let's get out of here and head towards city hall." -Antelope told her. He was not going to admit to the rest of them, but he just wanted to get out of there.

They were about to exit that room, when suddenly, they heard chattering. Turning around, they saw the skeleton, who was leaning against the alter chattering its teeth, as he got up. Not taking any chances, they armed themselves, while waiting for the creature's next move.

"Guess we now know what we're up against in here!" -Carapace said. –"Living skeletons."

It seemed that way. But what happened next, not only made them realize they were wrong, but also made them realize they were face-to-face with a very powerful enemy. Bursting out of the skeleton, what could be described as a translucent bluish blob with long arms and legs, along with reddish eyes and a huge mouth with protruding teeth was looking at them, while hovering in the air.

"Wrong… not skeletons… ghosts! We're up against ghosts!" -Rena Rouge said, as she looked at the ghoulish creature, who was looking at them with an unfriendly look.

"Good… because I ain't afraid of no ghost!" -Dragonfly smirked, as she quoted the Ghostbusters song.

* * *


	18. A Walk in the Cemetery

They had seen many things that night, but none of those things had been ghosts. Standing in front of them was a slimy ghost, looking at the four heroes, who were caught by surprise. Still, upon seeing the ghost hovering in front of them, the only thing Antelope was able to do was criticize Dragonfly's previous statement.

"I ain't afraid of no ghost?! Are you kidding me?!" -Antelope exclaimed. –"I get scolded earlier for making a Ghostbusters' joke, and now you do one, and it's all hunky dory?!" -he told her.

"Timing." -Dragonfly declared.

"What?" -Antelope asked her, not understanding what she meant by that.

"I said, timing… timing's all, and yours was wrong." -Dragonfly smirked at him. –"That's why I'm still cooler than you."

"Keep dreaming, you!" –Antelope told her, in annoyed tone.

"Guys… focus!" -Rena Rouge told them both.

"Yeah, because I think this guy has friends." -Carapace said.

Behind them, other ghosts appeared, looking at them with the same kind of eyes the first one had. The heroes did not know if they had showed up out of nowhere, or if they had been invisible and had decided to show themselves. But whatever the case, they were there now, and that spelled trouble for them.

"What do we do?" -Carapace asked Rena Rouge, in a whisper.

"I don't know… I don't even know how we can defeat these things, or if they can be defeated." -Rena whispered at him.

"Well, we better hope there is a way to defeat them…"

Before she could finish that sentence, the ghost that sprung from the skeleton, swooped past them and grabbed the piece of the pendant, right out of Rena's hands, going through the wall. Seeing this, the fox heroine had to think fast, otherwise, they would lose the piece of the pendant.

"Crud!" -Rena exclaimed. –"Dragonfly, after it! Don't let it out of your sight!"

"I'm gone!" -Dragonfly exclaimed, as she went through the hole in the wall at top speed, with only one thought on her mind, to catch that ghost and the piece of the pendant.

As soon as Dragonfly went through the hole, the other ghosts attacked the heroes, who tried to fend themselves against them. Still, this turned out to be an almost impossible task, because every time they tried to hit the colourful, yet translucent creatures, their fists, feet and weapons went right through them. And every time that happened, they ended up covered in some goo, which they believed was ectoplasmic slime, or something of the kind.

"Great, I got slimed!" –Antelope yelled.

"I would worry a little more about these guys' teeth, than to be slimed." -Rena said, as her flute-staff went through one of the ghosts, after this one tried to bite her with his sharp teeth. –"Oh, no you don't! My flute-staff is not for you to use as a toothpick, mister!

At first, Carapace believed he could block them, by using his energy shields. But when the ghosts started to go through them as if they were not there in the first place, he had no other option, but to fight them with his tonfas, though just like in Rena Rouge's case, his weapons had no effect on them.

"We've got to get out of here and head topside!" -Carapace said, as he dodged an attack form one of the ghosts.

"Fine by me!" -Antelope exclaimed, as he prepared to get out of there at the speed of sound, only to be stopped dead cold by one of the ghosts, who launched itself against him, and covered him in some kind of sticky substance, different from what they had seen until then. Unlike the so-called ectoplasm, this thing was purple and given its consistency, it looked more like blueberry jelly, than anything else. The more he tried to get it off him, the harder it was for him to move. It did not take him long to understand that he had gotten himself into a fine mess.

"I'm stuck!" -Antelope exclaimed, as he tried to move. The ghosts were not paying attention to him right then, but he had no guarantees that they would not turn their attention back to him once they had finished toying with Rena and Carapace, and he did not want to stay there to find out. –"Guys, give me a hand!"

"Go, I'll cover you!" -Rena Rouge told Carapace, as she backflipped, avoiding yet another

"You sure?!" -Carapace asked her, as he evaded another of the ghosts that seemed was trying to pin the two of them against one of the walls.

"Yeah, I am. Go!" -Rena told him. –"Just help him out of that, so we can all… get out of here!" -she said as she swung her staff against one of the ghosts, chasing it away.

As they tried to make their way back to the cathedral, Dragonfly was already up there, chasing the ghost that had swiped the piece of the pendant from Rena Rouge's hand. Trying to get close to it, the pink-haired heroine asked herself how could that ghost be so fast. The only good thing about it, was that the ghost glowed in the dark, so it was easy for her to see where it was heading… although, it was a little harder for her to see where she was going, thanks to the cathedral being bathed in shadows.

"If you think you're going to give me the slip, you've got another thing coming down, buster!" -Dragonfly yelled at the ghost, as she threw her frisbee, attempting to surprise the ghost, and forcing it to slow down. All she needed was for it to slow down for one second, so she could catch up and snag the piece of the pendant from it.

Unfortunately, the blasted ghost went through one of the archways, with the frisbee hitting it, and returning to Dragonfly, who was starting to get a little tired of that. When the ghost showed up again, she put everything she had in her, and flew directly against it. Her plan was to try and go through it, while grabbing the piece of the pendant, it was holding on its left hand. She did just that, but by doing that, she got her face and most of her body covered in slime. To make matters worse, she failed to grab the piece of the pendant. And she flew out one of the windows, which shattered, when she went against it. When she finally managed to get part of the gunk she was covered in, Dragonfly saw herself outside, and she was pissed at herself, to say the least.

"I hope you're happy, you freak! It's going to take me hours to get this gunk out of this suit!" -Dragonfly said, enraged. –"When I get my hands on you, you're going to wish you'd never been born… or died, in your case!" -she yelled at the ghost, as she flew back inside through the busted window.

Enraged, and with more adrenaline in her veins than usual, Dragonfly was determined to find a way to get that ghost, send it to Hell and grab the piece of the pendant, even if it killed her. But, as always, it would not be as easy as that, because once she got back inside, she saw not one, but several dozens of identical ghosts to the one she was chasing, flying together, like a flock of birds.

"Oh, so you want me to play tag and find out which one of you is the right one, like in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, huh?" -Dragonfly asked out loud, sarcastically. –"You picked the wrong the person to play games with, freak!" -she exclaimed, as she charged against the group of ghosts.

But, to her surprise, when she was about to catch up with the ghost she thought had the piece of the pendant, she felt something swooping from her left side. After that, she felt something grabbing her neck from behind and pulling her towards it. She could not see what it was, but she knew it was incredibly strong. Next, she was thrown into the ground with a ferocity she had never seen or felt. She tried to use her powers to not hit the marble floor, but it was useless. When she hit the ground, the pain was so great that she nearly fainted, reminding her of what happened when she hit Haute Couture and knocked her out. Of course, back then, she had Antelope to grab her before she hit the ground. Breathing heavily, she did her best to not faint. Quickly she moved all her limbs, and tried to see if she had broken anything. Luckily, it did not seem the case. Slowly turning around, she kept breathing heavily, as she noticed she was being watched. Raising her eyes, she saw in front of her a figure that was looking her straight in the eyes. It had an Olympic-like physique, along with sharp claws, a demonic face, as well as a pair of retractable wings, which were then fully open, with a wing span of at least 1,50 m in each direction. But his most distinct feature was that its body looked as if it had been chiselled from a block of stone. Only when another of those creatures landed in front of her, and Dragonfly was able to get a good clear glimpse of it, that she realized that these were made of stone. It did not take her more than a pair of seconds to understand what she had in front of her.

" _Gargoyles… why did it had to be gargoyles?_ " -Dragonfly thought to herself, as the four stone creatures with devilish eyes looked at her.

* * *

While Dragonfly tried her best to catch that ghost that had taken the piece of the pendant with him, flying over the city, heading east, were both Flamingo and Corbeau Noire, who were carrying Grizzly Bear, as they made their way to Père Lachaise cemetery. Flying over the city, they saw just how crazy everything was. The three heroes just wanted to land and help the police and every single person that needed them right then. But, they knew that if they really wanted to help them, the fastest way to do it was to find the pieces of the pendant Spectrum told them to retrieve, and theirs was somewhere in the famous cemetery. Built in 1804, and named after the confessor of King Louis XIV, Père François de la Chaise, the cemetery was known for being the last resting place of several famous individuals, such as Honoré de Balzac, Jim Morrison, Édith Piaf, Bruno Bianchi, George Mèliés, Marcel Proust, Oscar Wilde, among many others. It was known to be one Paris most famous landmarks, where tourists came many times to pay respects to some of the greatest men and women that ever lived. As they headed there, the three heroes wondered what would the cemetery look like, given that everything else in Paris had changed. If they had not seen it happening with their own eyes, they would ponder the chance that they had gone down the rabbit's hole and landed on a different place, just like it happened with Alice.

"We're almost arriving!" -Corbeau Noire said, as she pointed to the cemetery.

"Glad to hear that. My arms are starting to feel numb from you girls holding them." -Grizzly Bear said. From the three of them, he was the only one who did not have any flying powers, and such he had to be carried by the girls.

The streets were infested with all sorts of supernatural creatures. But the closer they got to the cemetery, the less creatures appeared to exist. In fact, when they arrived at the cemetery, and were starting their descent, they did not see a single creature beyond the walls of the cemetery, or outside of it. They felt that was strange, but did not think about it, as they landed in front of the cemetery's main entrance. The imposing white stone entrance that characterized the cemetery had changed drastically, no longer looking like it. Instead, the white stone was now blood-red, and the entrance now looked like something straight out of Hades. Gulping, the three heroes slowly walked towards the seemingly rusty old gate. Opening the gate, this one squeaked and creaked loudly, as they pushed it. The noise was so loud they feared they had awakened the dead. Looking around, they were astounded by their surroundings. They had seen the cemetery from above, and noticed that it did not look like it usually did. But being at ground level, they saw themselves asking if they were in the right place. The tombs and headstones were all broken and/or tumbled. The trees looked like they were dead, with their leaves on the ground, which kept swirling in the air, thanks to the wind. On top of it all, there was a red mist in the air. The whole place looked like something taken from one of the nine circles of Hell.

"This place gives me the creeps." -Flamingo said, as she grabbed Corbeau Noire's right hand, and squeezed it lightly.

"I don't like it either." -Corbeau Noire smiled at her. She knew the blonde was scared, but she also knew that all she needed was a smile of hers, to make her feel more relaxed and calm.

"Come on, girls, this is just something that crazy Halloween freak came up with to scare us. The faster we find out where that pendant piece is, the faster we get the heck out of here." -Grizzly Bear said, He was acting all tough and heroic, putting on a tough guy façade, but the truth was, inside, he was shaking like a leaf. All he wanted was for all that to end, so he could propose to Mylene, just like he wanted to, before Spectrum showed up and turned Paris into Halloween Town.

"He's right. The faster we find it, the faster we get out of here." -Flamingo said. –"But where do we start?"

When she said that, the ground started shaking violently. It took them a couple of seconds for the three of them to realize it was an earthquake. Staking their feet on the ground, they did their best not to fall, but it was not easy. Feeling that doing that was not enough, Flamingo and Corbeau Noire decided to use their flying ability to get off the ground, while Grizzly sunk his fists on the ground, hoping that would prevent him from fall.

" _Just what we needed… an earthquake._ " -Grizzly thought to himself. –" _But, is this being caused by Spectrum, or is it just Mother Nature joining the fun?_ "

He did not have to wait long for an answer. As the earth kept shaking and rumbling like crazy, the ground opened cracks and from those cracks, several arms start to spring from them. And then, attached to those arms were the rest of the bodies of the most disgusting and rotten creatures they had seen that night. What followed next, was the closest thing to the Walking Dead, one could expect, as the earth stopped shaking.

"Zombies!" -Flamingo exclaimed in panic.

"Just what we needed, brain-eating zombies." -Corbeau Noire said sarcastically.

"Is there another kind of zombies?" -Grizzly asked her.

"Sure, many… and not all of them like to eat brains. Most just eat everything they can sink their putrid teeth into." -Corbeau Noire told him.

"Then, how do you know these are the brain-eating kind?" -he asked her.

"Because of the way they move. Each kind moves and acts differently. I've seen enough horror movies to learn how to distinguish them." -the raven heroine told him.

As she heard that conversation, Flamingo started to have goosebumps all over her body. She was never a big fan of horror movies, or anything else that would give her nightmares at night, and zombies definitely were on that category. Corbeau Noire, on the other hand was a big fan of horror movies, and had seen almost every good one ever made behind her mom's back, who did not approve of the genre, and her knowledge of the subject was probably only rivalled by Ladybug's, though she did not know that, because the red heroine had decided to keep her love for horror movies a secret. As for Grizzly, he was not a big fan of the horror genre, and as such, he saw the zombies as nothing more than another obstacle they would have to take down, if they wanted to survive that night.

"Don't really care… if they're just piles of rotten bones and flesh, I think we can take them out… hey!" -Grizzly Bear said, when he was suddenly attacked by a zombie who came from behind and tried to bite him, only for him to punch his head off, sending it flying into the air. –"Hey buddy, I'm talking here! If you want fight, then wait until I finish talking, okay?!"

"I don't think they're going to wait…" -Flamingo said, as she pointed, as more and more zombies rose from the graves and gathered in front of them. –"This is starting to look more and more like Michael Jackson's Thriller…" -she declared, while looking around and not liking what she was seeing. –"We're only missing the song, right now."

"What's the plan?" -Grizzly Bear asked them.

"We need to find the piece of the pendant, and get out of here, but with all these things around, it'll be impossible for us to look for it." -Corbeau Noire said, trying to keep her cool. –"As I see it…" -she said, as she snapped her fingers and some of the surrounding shadows fell into her control. Using them, she quickly dismembered some zombies, sending their pieces into several directions. –"… we get rid of these guys first, and then look for it."

"Fine by me." -Grizzly Bear cracked his knuckles and put on his brass knuckles. –"You girls can take care of those over there. I'll take care of these over here." -he smirked, as he charged the mob of zombies in front of him, knocking some of them down.

Following his cue, both Flamingo and Corbeau Noire took the fight towards the zombies. While Corbeau used the shadows around and controlled them to take out as many, Flamingo used her self-duplication power and created four copies of herself, leading towards the zombie horde and taking down as many zombies as they could with their canes. At first, the three heroes thought that that would be an easy battle, since the zombies seemed like they were falling like ninepins. But, to their shock, instead of staying dead, after their bodies had been dismembered, they would put themselves back into one piece, even if the parts they grabbed were not theirs, and attack them. More and more all of that started to look like a Romero zombie movie. The only difference was that those zombies did not seem the kind that would infect them with a bite. More than once Grizzly was bitten by a zombie, but thanks to the magic in his suit, he hardly felt them; and those he did, only gave him an even bigger reason to take down every single one of those creatures he could.

" _You uglies just don't know when to give up, do you?!_ " -Grizzly Bear thought to himself, as he punched one of the zombies in the chest, ripping a hole in it, and exposing what was left of its internal organs. –" _But if you think, you're going to make me stop punching you, you've got another thing coming._ " -he thought to himself.

As the minutes went by, they realized their strategy was not working. Between grunts, wheezes and moans, no matter how many zombies they took out, they just kept coming. Just like the mythical hydra, for every one of them they took out, two showed up to take its place. While she was using the shadows around her to cut off heads, Corbeau noticed Flamingo was in a bit of a jeopardy, when her copies were all taken down by a swarm of zombies that sprung out from under their feet. Flamingo tried to keep them at bay, by bashing them in the head, but they were just too many, and starting to panic, she forgot she could fly. Not wasting another second, Corbeau Noire stopped what she was doing, and she dashed towards Flamingo's direction, punching through the swarm of zombies that stood in her way. Quickly, she grabbed Flamingo and pulled her up, not stopping until they were a few good hundred meters from the ground. Looking at her, the raven heroine made sure that she was alright, and after a couple of seconds, she saw that other than a couple of scratches, Flaming was alright. More than anything else, she was scared.

"You saved me… again." -Flamingo said, gasping for air. Still, you could hear in her voice a sad tone, like when she was sick of something.

"Oh, come on, Rose, what's with the long face? I'm always happy to help you." -Corbeau Noire told her, smiling tenderly at her.

"I know that… but, I don't like that you're always saving me, Juleka." -Flamingo told her girlfriend. –"I mean, I like it when you save me… but at the same time… it makes me feel like I'm just a pretty face, who can't do nothing by herself…"

She was talking, when she was interrupted by Corbeau Noire, who planted a big kiss on her sweet pink lips, forcing her to shut up for a couple of seconds, giving the brunette enough time to think of something to tell her, to prove her that she was anything but that. To her eyes, she would never be just a pretty face.

"Look, you're not just a pretty face, Rose. It's only normal. You're afraid of these things because you don't like scary things. I, on the hand, love horror movies, so seeing these things doesn't frighten me." -Corbeau Noire told her. –"Just because you panicked when those zombies showed up out of nowhere, doesn't mean you can't handle things by yourself. You're one of the bravest girls I know… I mean, if you weren't brave, would you have come up with the courage to tell me about your real things for me?" -she declared. –"If you can do that, you can do anything."

Such a passionate speech made Flamingo get all passionate, shedding a little tear, as she hugged Corbeau Noire, feeling her heartbeat against her chest. As the words the raven heroine had told her echoed in the blonde's head, she realized her girlfriend was right about it. If she found the strength and courage to tell her she loved her, she also had it in her to face anything they threw at her in the battlefield.

"What did I do to deserve you?" -Flamingo asked Corbeau Noire.

"Well, you're sweet, kind and your kisses taste like lollipops." -Corbeau Noire chuckled. She would only laugh and chuckle that way when she was alone with the blonde. –"Bur more importantly, you make me smile." -she said.

Flamingo was about to kiss her again, when a loud roar was heard from beneath them. Looking down, they noticed something was going on. Grizzly had managed to go deep into the cemetery, making use of his strength, as well as using some decapitated zombies as shields against the others. He had reached the building where the cemetery's crematorium was located, when something came out of it, something big. Standing 10 meters tall, a huge creature burst from inside the building, sending chunks of it flying several meters, before landing on either some gravestones or on top of some zombies. Looking at it, the bear hero took some time to understand what the creature was, and better yet, what it was made of. If one was to describe it, it would say that it looked a lot like an infernal version of Batman's enemy Clayface. Its body looked it was made of sand, but he had never seen sand with that colour. It was only when he got closer that Grizzly understood what the creature was made of… ash. Its whole body was entirely made of ashes.

" _Makes sense. I mean, ashes are literally bodies turned into dust… still, don't tell me that cremated ashes turned into zombies, they come back like this?!_ " -Grizzly Bear thought to himself, as he looked at the creature who was slowly walking towards him, while crushing the zombies that stood in its way. Seeing that, Grizzly figured that maybe the creature only cared about itself. If so, he would be able to explore that fact and make use of its size and strength to take down as many zombies as he could.

Landing next to him, Flamingo and Corbeau Noire readied themselves to face the colossal beast. Summoning their weapons, the girls, just like it happened with Grizzly Bear, took a couple of seconds to believe in their eyes.

"My God, it's huge!" -Flamingo exclaimed.

"We never fought anything this colossal before… at least, just the three of us." -Corbeau Noire said.

"Well, it's like they say… the bigger they are, the harder they fall!" -Grizzly Bear declared, when he noticed the zombies starting to back away, as if they were letting that creature have the place just for itself. –"Guess they're letting this thing have fun with us."

He was about to jump into action, when the creature stopped, quickly leaned over and roared at them. When it opened its ugly mouth and roared, the three heroes almost fainted, because of the creature's nauseous breath, which could be described as a strong mix of burning flesh and ashes with burning garbage. Covering their noses, they tried not to breathe, when they saw something that caught their eye. Inside the creature's mouth, glowing with an almost otherworldly glow, hanging from what one would call the creature's uvula, was the piece of the Samhain's pendant they had gone there to retrieve. Seeing it, they knew they would have to use all their wits to take it from the creature.

"Looks like we'll have to take this thing down, whether we like it or not." -Flamingo said.


	19. Opera Trap

Knowing the location of the piece of the pendant, Flamingo, Grizzly Bear and Corbeau Noire did not have to look for it anymore. The trouble was that this one was in the least accessible place one could ever imagine… inside the mouth of a ginormous creature made of human ashes, who kept looking at them, the same way a person looks at a beetle, when this one crawls near its foot. The three of them knew there had to be a way to get it out of the creature's mouth, but right then, they were out of ideas.

"So, what do you think? We jump inside its mouth and hope for the best?"

"That's ridiculous, not to mention dangerous!" -Corbeau Noire told him. –"First things first. We need to restrain him. I'll take care of that. In the meantime, the two of you try and keep these zombies away from me."

"Got it!" -Flamingo said, as she activated her powers and created several copies of herself. –"Leave to me!" -she and her copies replied in chorus.

"Okay. We'll leave that to you. Just try not to get yourself flattened like a pancake." -Grizzly said, as he turned around and charged against a group of zombies, punching them in both their heads and chests, as hard as he could.

Flamingo did not like to leave Corbeau Noire to face that creature alone. They were used to fight side by side, and whenever they split up, she could not help but to feel like something was not right. Still, she knew why she had asked her and Grizzly to keep the zombies at bay. The raven heroine was the only one whose powers could be used for long range attacks.

" _Just hurry up and get that thing, so we can skedaddle out of here, Juleka._ " -Flamingo thought to herself, as she ordered her copies to attack the zombies, while creating a small human cord, to force them to withdraw. She knew Corbeau would try and get the pendant's piece from the creature as fast as she could, but she was going to need time, and she was going to try and give her as much time as possible.

Corbeau Noire had thought that her powers were the best suited for the task of attacking the creature in front of her, which she silently nicknamed Ash Golem, given that her control over shadows enabled her to attack enemies that were far larger than her, not to mention she could also attack them at a distance. There was no shortage of shadows around her, for her to use. But, unfortunately, her attacks seemed like they were doing nothing to the creature. Whenever she used one of the shadows and used it as a whip, this one would just pass through the Ash Golem's body, without hurting it, or slowing it down.

"How can this be?!" -Corbeau Noire asked herself, as the creature clenched its hands, raised its left arm, and attempted to squash her like a pancake. Somersaulting backwards, she managed to avoid being turned into a pancake. –"I'm hitting it with everything I've got, and yet, my attacks seem to go through it!" -she thought to herself, panting, while trying to come up with another idea on how to defeat it.

Jumping, she flew into the air, where she believed the creature would not be able to get her. Her initial plan was to restrain the creature with a couple of shadows, and then use another shadow as a whip to pull the pendant's piece to her. But now that she knew her shadows just went through the creature's body, she knew that plan was not going to work. Another plan was needed, and she had to think it fast, not only for safety, but also for the safety of her two friends. Unfortunately, the Ash Golem did not give her time to breathe, much less think of an alternate strike plan. Moving with an almost unbelievable speed to its size, and using its massive strength, the creature grabbed a piece of the debris, the size of a boulder, from the crematorium's building and threw it at Corbeau Noire, who was up in the air.

"Hey! Watch it!" -Corbeau Noire said, as she managed to swerve to the side, avoiding the massive boulder that was thrown at her, which ended falling on top of some tombs, crushing them, along with several zombies. Her immediate thought was to see if both Grizzly and Flamingo were alright. Staring at the ground, she saw that both were fighting far from where the boulder fell, making her feel more relieved. –" _I don't know how, but I've got to find a way to get beat this thing, and fast._ " -she thought to herself, as she saw another piece of the debris, this one even bigger than the last one, heading towards her. –" _Otherwise, this creature is going to turn me and the others into pancakes._ "

* * *

As the battle raged on through the Père Lachaise cemetery for the piece of the pendant, Panda Rouge, Arachnid and Forest Doe explored the Palais Garnier for the fourth and last piece of the pendant themselves. When they arrived near the building, they were astounded by what their eyes saw. The already opulent building looked even more so than before. Its façade remained pretty much the same, but the figures in it had changed, having been replaced by dark and shadowy versions of themselves. On top of the building, the statue of Apollo had been replaced by the statue of what looked like a grotesque and inhuman creature, similar to a , while the statues of Harmony and Poetry located on the façade's avant-corps had been replaced by the statue of Cerberus, the three-headed hound that guarded the doors of Underworld, and the statue of a flying bipedal creature with a head of a goat, leathery bat-wings and human-like body with sharp claws and cloven hooves, which one would theorize, would be the depiction of the Jersey Devil. In front of the building's staircase and in the square, there were countless living skeletons, as well as werewolves and zombies, wandering around, chasing anyone who dared to come out into the street. Though the skeletons and the zombies looked like the most active of the creatures right then, it was clear to them that the werewolves had had their fun earlier; a couple of police cars that were in all beaten, burnt and filled with claws marks were proof of it. There had been a pretty gruesome fight there, and the supernatural creatures had apparently won.

It took them a few minutes to figure out how to enter the building, without raising the alarm. After thinking of all the options, they saw only two viable ways. The first would be the sewers, hoping that there would be a way inside the building, while the second, was the rooftop. At first, they felt that going through the sewers would be better, and given Panda Rouge's powers, he could easily draw them a way to enter the opera house. But, fearing that there would be something lurking in the sewers that would force them to fight it and alert anything that was moving on the street, the three heroes decided to take their chances with the rooftop. Using Doe's invisibility powers, and Arachnid's swinging abilities, they landed on the rooftop without being spotted by any creature, though the pressure and stress, not to mention the moans, growls and snarls of the creatures in the streets, was starting to make them feel a little paranoid and anxious. Looking around, they looked for a way in, while feeling they were being observed. After a couple of minutes, they saw there was no way in through the roof. Still, not willing to risk the sewers, Panda Rouge quickly used his powers and drew a trapdoor leading inside. As they opened the door, they felt a cold wind coming from inside, which made them shiver.

"Well, ladies first." -Arachnid said.

"Yeah, ladies first." -Panda Rouge nodded his head.

"You guys are such gentlemen." -Forest Doe said sarcastically. She was not used being sarcastic, but on that –"At least, give me something to light the way. I can't see anything." -she said, as she looked and saw nothing but darkness, that seemed to have swallowed everything inside.

Hearing her, Panda quickly drew her a flashlight, which Doe used to look inside. Going down the barely visible stairs, illuminated only by the flashlight, as silently as possible, they wondered what would be waiting for them inside. As they went down, they heard noises, but could not see what it was making them. Doe herself was acting all brave on the outside, but on the inside, she was shaking with fear. She had never been one to like or enjoy scary things. Even most horror movies scared her. Without realizing, she began to sing "Smelly Wolf" to herself, as a way to scare away any bad thoughts of her mind. When the stairs finally ended, they saw themselves in what looked like a huge storage room. Drawing two more flashlights, one for himself and one for Arachnid, Panda tried to understand where they really were, and if there was a way out of there. After a little inspection, they concluded that they were indeed, inside of a storage room. The air was quite fusty, and the place was filled with all kinds of objects, from massive pieces of furniture covered in white blankets, to all sorts of knickknacks covered in dust. There were cobwebs all over the place, some of them quite small, while others looked quite big. Illuminating the floor, they saw no traces of anyone having been there in a long time.

"Alright… so far, so good." -Arachnid said. –"Now, where do we go?"

"Well, first, we need to get out of here. Look for a door." -Forest Doe said, as she herself started look for a way out of there.

"And if we don't find one?" -Arachnid asked.

"Then, I'll make one." -Panda Rouge answered him

"But only if we can't find one. We don't know where exactly we are, or what is waiting for us in this place. For all we know, there could be a giant blood-thirsty monster behind these walls, waiting to catch us." -Arachnid said.

"Guys! I think I found one!" -Forest Doe exclaimed in a hushed voice, while signalling them with her flashlight.

Like she had told, she had found something that looked like their way out of that place. As they approached her, she pointed the light to the place in the wall, where the door was supposed to be. But looking at it, they did not see any doorknob or a keyhole on it that would allow them to exit. Thinking about it, they asked themselves if there was a trick to open it.

"Perhaps it can only be opened through the other side?"

"It's possible. But, there's no point in having a door that only opens to one side." -Forest Doe said.

"Indeed. Even secret passages usually have some way to be accessed from both sides." -Arachnid declared. –"Let me look at it for a couple of seconds, to see if there's a way to open it. Sometimes, the answer is staring us in the eyes." -he said, as he pointed the light to the wall.

The spider hero remained in silent, while staring at the wall, looking for anything he felt could be a button that would open the door. The other two heroes also remained silent, giving him the necessary silence he needed to concentrate. Seconds turned to minutes, and there was no sign that he was going to be able to open that door. Forest Doe and Panda Rouge began to ponder that that might not have been a door in the first place, and that she had been wrong about it. Panda was about to suggest Arachnid that he would just draw them a door, when the spider hero exclaimed:

"I got it!"

"You did?" -Forest Doe asked.

"What is it that you got it?" -Panda Rouge asked him, excited.

"Look at this." -Arachnid pointed to the wall. –"You see these drawings?" -he asked them. The drawings on the wall formed a pattern, which kept repeating itself. Some of them looked brand new, but others looked quite worn out, having been fustigated by Father Time itself, making them hard to see. –"They form a pattern that repeats itself… except here."

He pointed out to a very distinct portion of the wall, where the worn-out drawing looked different. You would need to pay close attention to it, to see the difference, but once you did, you would see that there was something different about it.

"I wonder if I run my fingers over it or press it…" -Arachnid said, as he touched the place where the pattern broke, only to hear something mechanical moving. –"Bingo!"

And with that, the door slowly opened to the side, revealing an access to a stone spiral staircase, illuminated by torches on the walls. When this happened, they were surprised by it. They imagined the door leading them to a lot of places, but not a spiral staircase, like it happened in old cape and dagger movies.

"Okay, I wasn't' expecting this." -Forest Doe admitted.

"Come on… let's follow it." -Panda Rouge said.

"And, what if there's something waiting for us at the end of the staircase?" -Arachnid asked them. –"I'm not saying I'm scared, I'm just covering every possibility."

"Then, it'll have to deal with us." –Panda Rouge said, with a smirk on his face.

"Still, we're not going to lose the element of surprise." -Forest Doe smirked. –"Just place your hands over my shoulders and don't let go." -she said. She was going to use her invisibility once again.

Doing so, they followed her down the stairs. Being invisible gave the three of them a little assurance that if they happened to stumble upon something they deemed spooky or dangerous, they would see it before it saw them. As they went down, they noticed the walls were made of dark kind of limestone, while the steps were made of a lighter kind of limestone, which helped to create a beautiful contrast, if one would take the time to notice it. They had been going down the stairs for about thirty seconds, when they began hearing music. It started as little more than a hum, but as they kept going down, it gradually became louder and louder. Listening to it, they wondered who or what could be playing it. Slowing down the pace, Doe turned her head and asked her friends what they thought about it.

"Who do you think is playing?"

"Beats me." -Arachnid said. He was never a big fan of music.

"I don't know. But whoever is doing it, I think we're getting closer to it." -Panda Rouge told her. The melody was beautiful, and was somehow familiar, though he did not know where or when he had heard it before.

"It's such a lovely melody." -Forest Doe declared. After seeing all the horrors Spectrum had released over Paris, it was hard for them to imagine someone, or something playing a melody as beautiful as that one, when everything else looked like it had gone straight to Hell. That, and being inside a building that was one of the world's most famous music and dance halls, was enough to make her feel like something was not right. –"I don't know why, but, something tells me that this melody is actually a sign that we better keep our eyes peeled." -she told, to which they both nodded silently.

Shortly after, they reached the end of the staircase, seeing themselves in a huge domed room. The place was decorated in a way that it looked like the room had either stopped in time or served as a time capsule. The walls were covered in a beautiful red and golden wallpaper, while the domed ceiling was painted with amazing floral and animal motifs. The floor was carpeted and the whole furniture seemed like it dated back to Louis XVI or even Napoleon Bonaparte. Still, all over the place you could see cobwebs and dusty surfaces, which did not diminish the room's grandeur and magnificence. Moving through it, they made sure not to make a single noise, as they went into the next room, which was just as beautiful as the one they were in before, as they kept following the melody. They did not know what it was worse. Not seeing anyone, or feeling that they were being watched by someone, or something they could not see with their eye, but could still feel its presence. After that, another similar room followed, and another one. Arachnid could not help but to comment on the fact that he felt like they were entering King Tut's tomb, where each of the chambers was more magnificent, than the one before.

"Don't say that! You might attract a mummy." -Forest Doe whispered at him.

"You're not thinking that there are mummies around here, are you?" -Arachnid asked her.

"With what we've seen tonight, I don't want to take any chances." -Doe answered him. With their luck, saying something like that would certainly make a monster or a creature appear in front of them, out of the blue.

"I don't believe there are any mummies here. If there were, I guess we would have seen a couple of sarcophagi around." -Panda Rouge declared. –"But, I believe that this melody is getting louder by the minute. And I don't think it's just a person playing, I think it's a bunch of people… like an orchestra."

"You and me." -Forest Doe commented.

After one last room, they went through a small dark corridor that led them to where the melody was coming from. As they reached the end of the corridor, the saw they had ended up in the Opera's auditorium, where they were lavished with the most unusual shower of applauses one had ever seen, though these were not for them. The applauses were for the people, or better yet, creatures that were up on the stage, as well as in the orchestra's pit. It took them a couple of seconds to understand what was going on, but it seemed like somehow, someway, invisible people were acting a play on the stage, as well as playing the music, and the only thing one could see were the costumes they were wearing. Theirs arms, legs and heads were not there. Furthermore, the same thing happened with the crowd, whom you could only say was seated on their seats, thanks to the period clothes they were wearing.

"Invisible people, or ghosts?" -Panda Rouge asked in a hush.

"How should I know?" -Arachnid told him. –"Thank God we're invisible ourselves, or otherwise, I think everyone would notice us, as being the only ones whose body can be seen." -he stated.

Taking a moment to admire their surroundings, they noticed just how different the auditorium looked like. Although its infrastructure remained largely the same, the colours were stronger and darker than the ones the room originally had. The ceiling that had been painted by Chagall, and where you could see scenes of various operas, now depicted some of the darkest scenes of the Inferno cantica, from Dante's Divine Comedy, where the eyes of both humans and mythical creatures seemed to follow one who would look straight at them. The opulent chandelier in the ceiling had been replaced by a less opulent version of it, though it looked scarier and more frightening, giving the place a heavier aura to it.

"Who around here feels like we went back in time to the 19th century? Because, the more I look at things, the more it seems like it." -Forest Doe asked them, as she took a little to admire the clothes the invisible people on the audience were wearing. The colours, the shapes, the details in the clothes; everything in them looked like they had either been made either in the 19th century or for a period production, it was scary.

"Me too." -Arachnid whispered at her. –"I know you guys are going to call me nerd, but, I feel just like we stepped right out of the TARDIS along with the Doctor." -he said.

"You aren't the only one." -Panda told him.

Still, as much as all of that looked and sounded strange, the three heroes knew they had to focus on the task they had at hand. They had managed to get there without much of a hitch, but now, they also had to find the pendant's piece, get it and get out of there before anyone, or anything suspected of their presence there.

"So, what do we do now? Should we keep moving, or…" -Panda Rouge asked them.

"No, I think we should stay and look for the piece of the pendant right here." -Arachnid declared.

"I agree. If I were to guess, this place looks like the perfect place to hide such a thing. I mean, look at it. Whatever these creatures are, there are thousands of them here, not counting the ones that are at the orchestra and on the stage." – Forest Doe said, as she looked at the stage, where from the scenery assembled and the costumes being worn by the invisible actors, she recognized what was playing… the Phantom of the Opera.

She could not help but to think it was a little ironic for that play to be played on that very same spot, given the action on both the play, the musical and the book it was based on, took place right there, on the Palais Garnier. Signalling the others to keep moving close to her, she kept moving forward, while keeping her eyes peeled for the piece of the pendant. And then, she saw it, and cursed their luck at the same time.

"Over there." -Forest Doe hushed to the others, while pointing in the direction of the stage, where the play went on. –"Look at the… the thing that's portraying the Phantom."

Looking at it, the two other heroes noticed something that was hanging on the Phantom's lapel. Hanging on it like it was a medal, was the fourth and last piece of the Samhain's pendant. They had found it, but now came the hardest part; they had to take it, without no one noticing it.

"You've got to be kidding me…" -Arachnid said. –"How are we going to snag it from under everyone's nose here?" -he asked his two friends. That was the 1 million Euros question, and right then, as smart as he was, he had no idea how they were going to pull a stunt like that.

The three heroes all tried to come up with a solution to that predicament, by analysing the situation and trying to cover every possible aspect. The ideas tat went through their minds were many, but none of them looked possible or practical, even with their powers. The more they thought about it, the more they believed that not even Harry Houdini or David Copperfield would be able to pull such a stunt. And while they thought on how to get the pendant piece, the play went on.

" _It can't be done that way._ " -Arachnid told himself, as he visualized an idea he had. –" _I mean, we could try it, but the odds of succeeding are very slim._ "

" _If that… whatever it is, just stood still for a moment, we could try and snag it from under its nose, but like that…_ " -Panda thought.

After thinking as hard as she could, Doe realized there was only one way to get the pendant piece, but she did not like it, and she was sure the others were not going to like it either. If they had more time, she would try and come up with maybe an alternative way, but they had to meet with the rest of the team. Sighing, she decided to tell Panda and Arachnid her idea, hoping they agreed with it.

"Guys, I'm afraid there's only one way out of this, and it's not going to be a silent one." -she told them.

"What are you thinking?" -Panda Rouge asked her.

"I'm thinking that we should just do this the same way we remove a band aid, fast and painless." -Doe stated.

"Personally, I'm more of a guy who likes to wait for the band aid to just fall on its own, but I know what you mean." -Arachnid said.

"So, what's the plan?" -Panda insisted on the matter.

Forest Doe explained them both what she had in mind. First, Panda Rouge would draw a couple of bombs which he would spread all over the room to go off at the same time. Then, using her bow and arrow, Doe was to shoot a couple of arrow at the creature who was portraying the Phantom, while in her invisible form, pinning it, as the performance stopped. After that, Arachnid, who would use the shadows to his advantage to climb up to one of the higher balconies, would swing over the stage and grab the pendant piece, after which, Panda would draw them a way out and they would run out of there as fast as they could. It was a rather simple and crude plan, but she believed was good enough for what they needed.

"I don't see any trouble with that. Except for the fact that you'll be the only one who'll remain invisible." -Arachnid said. He had no trouble in not being invisible, but right then, the idea of any of those creatures seeing them was not a pleasant thought.

"We'll have to use the shadows to conceal our presence." -Panda Rouge told him.

"Guess it's time for us to see if all that training with Master Fu has paid up or not." -Arachnid commented.

"Then, it's settled. We move, as soon as your bombs go out." -Forest Doe declared. –"But don't make them too powerful. I want them to make more noise than damage, okay?"

"Gotcha!" -Panda winked at her.

As soon as Panda Rouge and Arachnid let go of her shoulder, and turned visible once more, they moved as fast and as silently as possible, looking for a place to get ready for what was to come. Arachnid wasted no time in trying to find a safe way to one of the balconies, using the shadows. Luckily, the room was quite dark, and the shadows casted by the candelabra allowed him to move quite well. Holding his breath, he climbed the walls just like a spider in silence, always looking over his shoulder for anything or anyone who would spot him. At the same time, Forest Doe moved in closer to the stage, looking for the best place from where to shoot her arrow. Being invisible allowed her to move freely, without needing to worry about being spotted. Still, she had to be careful not to make too much noise while moving. As for Panda Rouge, he wasted no time in drawing the explosive devices and placing them where he felt was best. Just like Doe requested him, he made the explosives to give out a big bang. Planting them where he thought would make the most noise, he lost count of how many he had set after the twentieth explosive; he was too focused on not being seen or caught.

When he felt he had planted enough, he stopped for a bit, so his heart could slow down a little. As he sat on the floor, he could not help but to feel a little like a ninja, sneaking around in the shadows.

" _There, I think that will do. And now, to draw ourselves a remote detonator._ " -Panda thought to himself, as he quickly drew a remote detonator, setting the times for the bombs to go off in 30 seconds, after the push of the button. Once it was finished, he paused for a moment, before pushing the button. –" _Let's hope this works._ "

Pushing the button, the numbers on the timer began to change, and soon the thirty seconds had gone by. When the timer hit zero, the explosives went off, causing every last invisible creature to panic. The ones on the stage also panicked, trying to understand what had happened. Taking this opportunity, Doe shot not one, not two, but three arrows against her designated target, pinning him against a piece of the set. As it tried to remove the arrows it could not see, Arachnid swung from highest balcony as if he was Tarzan, and quickly swiped the piece of the pendant. With it in his hands, he could not help but to congratulate himself on a job well done.

" _Got it! And now, it's time for us to split!_ "

But, before he could reach one of the balconies, he felt something wrap itself around his left ankle, and pulled him. This made him lose his momentum, and if it was not for him to be holding the lasso as hard as he was, he would have fallen. Turning his head, he saw that what had caught him had been one of the stage ropes. Following it with his eyes, he tried to see who had lassoed him. He saw no one, and then, to his surprise, he understood why. Piercing through the curtains, more ropes dashed in his direction. He saw them, but his reaction was too slow, and in a matter of seconds the seeming living ropes had wrapped themselves around his body, like they were snakes. No matter how much he tried, the more he tried to untangle himself, the tighter the ropes became, and when his face and eyes were covered by one of the ropes, he could not tell what was happening. Still, he could feel himself being moves through the air, like he was a human yo-yo, and soon, he was going to get sick. The only good thing about that, was that the pendant piece was still in his possession. Now, all he had to do was find a way to free himself.

" _I've got to get out of here. I need to untangle myself and get out of here with the others!_ " -Arachnid told himself, as he felt the ropes getting tighter around his body. –" _Just hope Mylene and Nathaniel aren't as much trouble as I am, right now._ " -he thought.

Unfortunately, both Forest Doe and Panda Rouge were in even bigger trouble than Arachnid was. Once the invisible creatures saw what was going on, they attacked Panda, who had been thrown into the air by one of his own explosives, landing on top of some seats. Somehow, he was uninjured, but now they could see him. Trying to get up, he saw himself surrounded by those creatures, who wasted no time trying to grab him. Luckily, multiple arrows pierced them, courtesy of Doe. This, gave him enough time to get back on his feet, and use his spear to clear a path in the direction of the stage. He knew that if he wanted to have a chance of getting away from that mob, he had to go to higher ground, and the best thing to do right then, was get to the stage, from where he could perhaps draw him and the others a way out.

" _Oh crud… guess getting out is going to be a lot harder than it was getting in._ " -Forest Doe told herself, as she shot another arrow into the air. She suspected those creatures knew she was there, but as long as they could not see her, she believed she held some sort of surprise element against them. –" _Nathaniel looks like he can handle himself, so, I got to find a way to get Max from up there, safely!_ " -she thought, as she noticed Arachnid wrapped high up in the air, just above her head.


	20. A Long Night

In the Louvre, Ladybug, Chat Noir, Queen Bee and Louve Grise had managed to cause enough hassle to wake up the dead. After awaking Karavan Corvin, while trying to remove the piece of the pendant that was hanging around his neck, the vampire lord called out for reinforcements, who wasted no time in attacking the four heroes. The inhuman strength the vampires possessed surprised them, even though they knew such creatures were known for their unnatural strength. Ladybug herself had to go one on one against Karavan, who was not going to let her get the piece of the pendant without a fight. As she engaged him in a fight, the others battled the remaining vampires, occasionally lending her a hand, when they realized she was in trouble.

What they thought would be a quick fight, escalated into a full-blown brawl, as the action was taken from the room they were in to the corridor, they had come from. As much as they wanted not to damage anything in the museum, they ended up using whatever objects they could grab as weapons against the undead creatures. Plus, being in the dark, did not help at all. From the four of them, only Chat could see in the dark, so it was up to him to give the girls a hand. Blocking every blow, he could, with both his hands and his staff, the feline hero knew that they would not last long in that darkness.

“If there was a way to turn on the lights of this place…” -he thought to himself, as he looked around. But the hole place had been transformed, and there was no sign of any kind of modern lighting devices, not even a single lightbulb. And then, an idea sparked on its head. –“We may not have lightbulbs around here, but there’s still a way to shed some light in here.”

His idea was to knock down the walls that separated the room they were before and let the light in it flood the corridor. Not wasting another moment, he decided to use his special attack, Cataclysm, to destroy the walls, while evading some of the bloodsuckers, who wanted to make a meal out of him. As soon as his hands touched the walls, these crumbled into dust, with the light flooding the corridor. It instantly became a little brighter. Not as much as if someone had lighted a lightbulb, but at least now they knew where they were going, and more importantly, they knew where the enemies were.

While this happened, Bee and Louve continued to battle the vampires, as ladybug went toe to toe with the vampire lord. Though old, he moved as fast as the wind. The blue-haired heroine had to make full use of her instincts to both counterattack and block the vampire’s blows, who was not making things easy for her. He was incredibly fast… faster than any other enemy she had ever fought before. As their battle went on, she knew she had to find a way to end it quickly, as well as snagging the pendant’s piece from his neck, otherwise, exhaustion would get the best of her.

“Are you tired already, little girl?”

“Don’t call me little girl, and for your information, I’m just getting started!” -Ladybug exclaimed, as she threw her yo-yo at the vampire, who caught it in his left hand.

“You talk too much for your own good, little girl.” -Karavan smirked evilly at her, as he threw the yo-yo back at her, after which, he threw it back at her.  

“You’re going to be sorry, if you keep calling me that.” -Ladybug warned him.

She had just finished talking when he lounged at her, with his mouth wide open, and his fangs glistening, hungry for blood. Such a sight would make one’s blood freeze in its veins, but not Ladybug. Imbued by both the courage of her miraculous, and her taste in horror movies, she did not shiver at such sight. She wanted to kick him on the face, but he was so fast, that she ended up falling on her back. Still, as he was about to land on top of her, she used both her feet and kicked him on the abdomen, preventing him from sinking his teeth on her neck and throwing him away.

Landing on his back, Karavan quickly got up, only to see Ladybug charge against him. Throwing her yo-yo at him, the vampire lord thought the heroine was going to use the same trick again, only to be surprised by her. When he grabbed the yo-yo, she jumped, performing a somersault over his head. While doing it, she reached for Karavan’s neck and grabbed the necklace holding the piece of the pendant, yanking it from him. 

“Sorry, but we need this more than you do!” -Ladybug said, just as she landed on her feet. Now that she had what they had come for, there was no reason for them to stick around. –“Guys, I got the pendant’s piece! Let’s split!” -she ordered the others.

“You’re not going anywhere!” -Karavan roared, as he opened his mouth and let out a powerful high pitch into the air.

As he did it, the walls of the Louvre shuddered, and for a moment, it felt like everything around them was going to (werevolves

“This just went from bad to worse in a record time.”  -Ladybug told the others.          

“We’ve got to get out of here, milady!” -Chat Noir said.

“Easier said than done!” –Louve Grise declared. The wolf heroine did not like to feel trapped like that. She did not know if it was in part because of her wolf half, but all the same, she did not like to feel like an animal trapped in a cage.     

“If you want, I can use one of my tornados to blow us a way out of here, while taking these guys out as well.” -Queen Bee suggested her, as she kicked a vampire in the chest. The werewolves that Karavan had called, remained motionless, waiting for their master’s order, though the way they kept snarling, the blonde feared that they would just jump on them and shred them, even without the vampire lord ordering them to.  

“No! your tornados are too powerful to be used indoors. Plus, you would take half of this wing with one of them.” -Ladybug declared, as she punched a vampire on the face. Being undead, those creatures felt like they were made of stone. Every time one of the heroes hit them, it felt like they were punching or kicking a brick wall.

“But we can’t just stand still!” -Queen Bee

“Maybe we don’t need to.” -Chat Noir told her. –“Louve, do you think you can create an ice wall between us and these freaks?”

“How thick you want it?” -Louve asked the feline hero, thinking she knew what he was going for.  

“Enough for these things to not be able to follow us.” -Chat smirked deviously. If his plan worked, they would be out of there in no time.

“What are you trying to do?”

“Trust me, milady. I’ve got a plan.” -Chat grinned at her. –“Just be ready for what comes next.”

Following Chat Noir’s request, Louve Grise took a deep breath, after which she blew a gust of icy wind, which immediately began to create the frozen wall he had requested her. Making use of her fans to amplify her powers, in a matter of seconds, ice began to rise from the ground, as if it had a mind of its own, becoming thicker and stronger with each centimetre it grew upwards. When the ice reached the ceiling and stopped growing, the heroes found themselves separated from their attackers, at least for the time being. Enraged, and unwilling to let them get away, the vampire lord snapped his fingers and the werewolves jumped on the attack, only to be stopped by the thick ice wall. Snarling, the werewolves launched themselves against the icy wall, scratching it with their claws and their teeth, as Karavan ordered the remaining vampires to also use their strength to destroy the ice. Hearing the werewolves and the vampires trying their best to bust through the ice, the heroes knew it was only a matter of time.    

“Okay, now what?” -Ladybug asked. They were now separated from the monsters, but they were also trapped in what she called an ice cage.

“Now, we go up!” -Chat Noir smiled, as he leapt into the air. –“Cataclysm!” -he exclaimed, as he touched the ceiling.

As he did this, Ladybug and Queen Bee understood what Louve Grise had already figured out when Chat asked her to build that ice wall. Using his special ability, he was going to lead them out of there. If everything would go right, they would be out of the Louvre in a matter of minutes. There was no reason for them to keep quiet, so if they had to make noise in order to get out of there, they would. Once the hole in the ceiling opened, Chat signalled the girls to go first. They did not hesitate, knowing fully well the monsters would be hot on their trail. Chat had just passed through the hole, when one of the werewolves managed to pierce the ice, and tried to force its way in, using its head. Fearing they would follow them, the black cat hero ordered Louve Grise to seal the hole, which she did.

“That ought to hold them, for a little bit.” -Chat Noir said, as Louve finished.

“Yeah, but now we practically can’t see a thing again!” -Queen Bee exclaimed, as her voice echoed on the walls. Just like the rest of the museum, the only light on that floor came from the torches on the wall, which did very little to light up the place. –“Why couldn’t one of us have glowing for a special power, just like a firefly?!”

“Well, maybe because there isn’t a firefly miraculous, remember?” -Ladybug pointed out sarcastically.

“Don’t worry, I’ll guide you girls out of here with my night vision.” -Chat Noir assured them.  

But before he could keep his promise, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble, making them wonder what was going on. The torches on the walls, fell from their hanging places and those that did not hit the floor immediately, ended up burning some of the things the fire touched, like curtains, paintings and tapestries, lighting them up. In a matter of seconds, the fire spread like wildfire. Seeing it, Louve Grise wasted no time in trying to put it out with her ice powers. But the fire was the least of their problems, because the ground kept trembling, and suddenly, arms came ripping from it.  

“We’ve got company!” -Chat Noir exclaimed. The vampires did not appreciate them leaving the party soon. –“Follow my lead!”  

With the place on fire, and with all those supernatural creatures trying to get them, Ladybug and the others made their way out of there, with Chat as their guide. The once aristocratical vampires looked now like feral beasts, hungry for blood, just as much as the werewolves who served them, and who were also on the trail for the heroes. As for the heroes, they tried to remain cool under that pressure, but being hunted by creatures who if given the chance, would rip them into pieces, did not help.

“Get them!!!” – Karavan roared from the top of his lungs, his voice resonating on the walls, as the other vampires and the werewolves started to chase them.

Instead of taking the corridors, they made use of Chat’s “Cataclysm” to open holes in the walls and creating a more direct path to the outside. Every time he used Cataclysm, Chat hoped that that wall would be the one that stood between them and freedom. After they went through an 8th wall, Ladybug suggested they would take another direction. Doing it, they went right, and after three walls destroyed, they were out. Going through the hole made by Chat, that led them outside, they felt the cold night air caressing their faces, as they landed on the street below. They could not help but to feel relieved for being out in the open once again. But, their relieve was short-lived, as seconds later the werewolves burst through the wall, followed by Karavan and his vampires, ready to continue their pursuit. Tired of playing cat and mouse with them, Ladybug felt it was time for Karavan and his cronies to leave them alone.    

“Bee! Thrash them!” -Ladybug ordered the bee heroine.

“Gladly!” -Queen Bee replied, as she rolled her trompo, creating a small tornado, which began to grow in front of their eyes.

As the tornado grew, so did its strength, the wind pulling everything towards its centre. The heroes, who knew just how powerful Queen Bee’s tornados were, quickly held on to a street lamp nearby, as the bee heroine focused her powers to make the tornado spin faster and faster. The first ones to be sucked by the tornado were the werewolves, followed by the vampires, who still tried to run away by turning into what one would call a man-bat form. Once they had all been caught by the tornado, Queen Bee sent them flying away, up into the sky, hoping that by doing it, they would have seen them for the last time.

“Good riddance to bad rubbish.” -Queen Bee said, as she stretched her arms, a little exhausted from that latest stunt.

“Great work, Queen Bee!” -Ladybug praised Bee’s work on getting rid of that threat.

“Yeah, you were great!” -Louve Grise also praised her best friend.

“Thanks.” -the blonde thanked her friend with a warm smile. –“So, let us see the pendant’s piece.” -she asked Ladybug.

“Alright, alright, it’s right… uh, where did it go?!” -Ladybug

“Very funny, Marinette. Pretending that you lost it.” -Queen Bee said sarcastically. –“Now, come on, stop kidding around and show it to us, okay?”

“I’m not kidding, Chloé, I don’t know where it is!” -Ladybug told her, as she panicked for not knowing where the piece of the pendant was. 

“You’re telling us that you lost it?!” -Queen Bee practically screamed, when she heard her say that.

“I don’t know! I placed it right next to my yo-yo.” -the scarlet heroine said, as she pointed to her yo-yo that was wrapped around her waist. –“Maybe… maybe it was sucked by your tornado

“But if that happened, it could be anywhere now!” -Louve Grise declared. Just the thought of her having lost the piece of the pendant, and that this one could have taken the same route as the vampires and the werewolves a few seconds before, was frightening. 

“Uh, excuse me, but are you looking for this, milady?” -Chat Noir called out Ladybug and the others, as he held the pendant’s piece in his hand. She had dropped it, when she went to congratulate Queen Bee, and did not realize it, which was when he grabbed it.  

“Adrien, you’re a life saver.” -Ladybug sighed, relieved to know that she had not lost it.  

“Well, you called me a lot of things before, but a life saver… I think that’s the last time.” -Chat Noir said, as Ladybug made her way to him. Stopping in front of him, she punched him playfully on the chest. –“Ouch! Easy, milady. I’m not made of stone, you know?” -he joked.

“You’re cute, but don’t push it, kitty cat.” -Ladybug giggled, as she grabbed the pendant’s piece from the feline hero’s hand. Now that they had in their possession one of the four pieces of the Samhain pendant, all they needed to do was to wait for their friends to show up with the remaining three. And for that to happen, they had to go to City Hall, where they hoped the others would already be waiting for them.     

* * *

If fighting ghosts was bad enough, then, fighting living stone gargoyles was horrible. The massive creatures were proving to be one of the toughest enemies Dragonfly had faced until then. Using her frisbee, she managed to break free from her captors and fly into the air. She believed she was faster than the gargoyles, and once airborne, she would be able to find a way to get rid of them. Yet, she still had to find the ghost that had the piece of Samhain’s pendant, and she had lost it. But, she knew that as long as she had those gargoyles after her, she would not be able to focus on finding the ghost.

“Where are the others?!” -Dragonfly asked herself. She had left the others to catch the ghost that had run with the pendant’s piece, with them telling her they would follow her shortly, and yet, there was no sign of them. –“The one time I need them, and none of them is around!” -she cursed her luck, when suddenly she felt something kicking her on the back.

Once more, the gargoyles had made their business to take her down. After that first attack, the creatures wasted no time in attacking the pink-haired heroine. Unfortunately for them, they lost their element of surprise, and this time Dragonfly was ready for them. Landing on the floor, she barely had the time Because she was by herself, and there was no trace of either Rena Rouge, or the other two heroes, she would have to come up with a way to get rid of the gargoyles, and find the ghost; all that, at the speed of sound. Tired of running, she decided it was time for her to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and face the gargoyles in a way only she would… through speed.   

“You want a piece of me, you stone freaks? Then, come on, let’s see if you’re as agile as you think you are!” –Dragonfly said, as she gave them the finger, angering them and making them follow her.

Just like she predicted, the gargoyles did not like her giving them the finger, and quickly launched themselves after her. As she dealt with them, Rena Rouge and the others emerged from the underground, covered in ectoplasm, while keep fighting the horde of ghosts that showed up, as soon as they found the piece of the pendant. It had not been an easy task, but they managed to find their way out of there. Unfortunately, the ghosts kept attacking them, and the only thinking they could do was either dodge their attacks, or attack them with their weapons, hoping that eventually they would hurt the creatures. Using her illusionary powers to trick the ghosts, Rena hoped to gain a little time to for her, Carapace and Antelope to find Dragonfly. The illusions she created caught the attention of the ghosts, who immediately attacked them, leaving her and the others a couple of seconds to find a hiding spot, which they did behind one of the broken benches. With his heart beating like the heart of a humming bird, from all that fighting, Carapace allowed himself a brief second to slow it down, before addressing the others.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I didn’t ask to end up like Venkman in the Ghostbusters.” -he said, as he tried to clean the gelatinous ghost goo that he had stuck to his outfit.

“Tell me about it. After this, I’m going to have to take at least three showers just to get this thing from my hair.” -Rena Rouge agreed. She was not one of those girls who thought a girl’s good looks was the most important thing in the world, but she was also not one of those who did not care about her image, and right then, she could only imagine just how messy her hair was, after a ghost went right through her, covering her in ectoplasm. –“But never mind that now. Does anyone have a visual on Dragonfly?”

“I don’t see her… oh, wait a moment, there she is!” -Antelope said, as he saw her flying over their heads, heading straight to the top of the nave that was filled with ghosts, who kept flying around like fishes in a tank. –“And she’s got company!” -he pointed out to the gargoyles that were chasing her.

“Are those gargoyles?” -Carapace asked the others, as he saw the stone creatures chasing their friend. The way they flapped their wings, it reminded him of bats.

“I don’t want to speculate, but I think she might be in trouble.” -Antelope told the others. He tried not to show it, but he feared Dragonfly could get hurt.

Right then, Dragonfly was doing her best to keep away from the gargoyles, who were closing in on her. She had managed to destroy three of them, by making two of them collide onto one another, while the third one lost its head, when the heroine threw her frisbee at it, severing its head. Still, four others remained, and she was starting to get tired of that. On top of that, she had to make sure she would dodge the ghosts that kept roaming around in front of her.

“ _Got to get rid of these guys and fast!_ ” -she thought to herself. –“ _I can’t find the ghost who has the pendant and fight these guys at the same time._ ” -she mused, as she felt something grazing her shoulder. One of the gargoyles missed her shoulder by a couple of inches. –“ _Geez! That was close… what I wouldn’t give for some back up right now._ ”

As if someone had read her mind, Dragonfly got her wished a few seconds after, when out of the blue, she saw a familiar face jumping over her head, landing on one of the gargoyles’ back. It was Antelope to the rescue!

“Hope you don’t mind, but I decided to lend you a little hand!” -Antelope shouted at Dragonfly, when he was forced to jump again, as the gargoyle he had land on started to twirl, trying to shake him off. –“Whoa, there ugly! If I were you, I would not try that again.” -he warned the gargoyle. –“Do that once more, and I’ll bash your head with my bat here.”

But his warning fell on deaf ears, with the gargoyle twirling once more, and this time trying to grab the hero with its sharp claws. When this happened, Antelope jumped once again and whacked the gargoyle on the head with his bat, hitting it hard. The gargoyle roared, only for Antelope to whack it once more, this time shattering its head into bits. As the creature plummeted into oblivion, Antelope jumped onto one of the others and did the same thing, leaving Dragonfly to deal with the last one.  

“ _That Kim… I bet that before the night is over, he’s going to brag about saving my neck._ ” -Dragonfly thought to herself. Even so, she was happy that her friend had come to help her, when she saw something in front of her that caught her eye; the ghost that had the piece of the pendant was right there, in front of her. –“ _Luck’s on my side, it seems._ ” -she smirked. –“Let’s get that ghost!”

Dashing through the air, she targeted the ghost that had the piece of the pendant, with the intention of catching it, as well as the object in its possession. But, the gargoyle was not going to allow her to give chase to the ghost; not without a fight. But to help her were Rena Rouge and Carapace. Since Antelope was busy taking care of the other gargoyle, and they figured her friend needed another helping hand, the fox and the turtle heroes decided to do just that. Projecting a copy of herself in the air, Rena told Dragonfly a message.      

“Leave the thing to me and Carapace.” -Rena’s copy told her.

Trusting her friends, she shot herself forward, determined to catch the ghost. Playing her flute, Rena commanded her copy to get the attention of the gargoyle, who upon seeing it, stopped chasing Dragonfly, to chase it instead. Using both its wings and claws, it tried to rip Rena’s copy to shreds, only to see its efforts thwarted, when Carapace used its powers to encase it in an energy bubble shield. Roaring and pounding its fists against the shield, the gargoyle tried to break free from it.

“You can try all you want, you’re not getting out of there unless I want to.” -Carapace said, as he focused on bringing the energy bubble to the ground. He intended to take care of the gargoyle himself.

While this happened, Dragonfly kept chasing the illusive ghost, who upon noticing the heroine, tried to giver the slip, by going through the walls. What the ethereal creature did not expect was that Dragonfly was not going to let a wall stop her from reaching her goal. Making use of both her super speed, as well as her semi-invulnerability to go through the marble walls, keeping up the chase. She was determined to catch the ghost and swipe the pendant’s piece from its grubby ghost hands, and in her mind, not even God would be able to stop her from doing it.

“Run all you want… that’s fine with me. You can run, but you can’t hide, little ghost.” -Dragonfly thought to herself, as she zigzagged in the air, going through yet another wall.

The ghost, feeling it was about to get caught, quickly summoned more ghosts to stand in the girl’s way. Still, this time, she was not going to dodge them. Instead, she was going through them, just like she went through the walls. Squinting her eyes, she dashed through the ghosts, and each time she passed through one of them, she felt herself coated by the same slimy substance she saw the ghosts leaving behind, whenever they went through a solid surface. As this happened, she felt absolutely disgusting. She herself did not mind getting dirty when attempting one of her crazy stunts, whether being as herself, or in her hero form, but the ectoplasm was a little too much, even for her. Still, that did not prevent her from doing what she had set to do. Going forward, she targeted the one ghost she was after, and like a speeding bullet or a rocket, she went through it, snatching the piece of the pendant that laid inside it with her left hand, clutching it with all her strength, as if her life depended on it.   

With the slime running down her face, she was forced to close her eyes, as her body lost altitude, rolling in the air. She knew she was going to fall on something hard, and though she tried to regain control of her body, the adrenaline she still had on her body was not enough. That last move from her had exhausted her, and there was nothing she could do to stop her fall. It was like she had lost control of her own body. Rolling in the air, she knew it was only a matter of time before she hit something hard like a wall, a column or the ground. When suddenly, she felt herself being supported in the air by something. Turned out that after taking care of the last gargoyle, Carapace had been accompanying her moves, just in case she would need any back-up, which she did. Creating a shield, he stopped her fall and gently brought her down. Dragonfly, who had

“Nice catch.” -Rena Rouge told her boyfriend, as she closed in.

“Thanks.” -Carapace winked at her. –“Thank God I was here. Otherwise, it would’ve been a nasty fall.” -he told Dragonfly, who was trying to get up.   

Feeling a little dizzy, not to mention exhausted, the punk-haired heroine struggled to keep herself on her feet. Taking deep breaths, she attempted to stop her head from keep spinning. When she finally did it a few seconds later, she proceeded to clean herself up.

“Crud! I feel disgusting!” -Dragonfly exclaimed, as she tried to get the slime off her face.

“Do you have it?!” -Antelope asked her, as he joined the rest of the group, falling from the sky, where he had been fighting against one of the gargoyles that were after Dragonfly.

“Aren’t you even going to ask me if I’m alright?!” -Dragonfly asked him, feeling a little displeased about it, though she was not going to say it out loud.

“S-Sorry. Are you alright, and do you have it?” -Antelope apologized, while insisting on the matter.

“Yes, I’m alright, and yeah, it’s right here.” -Dragonfly said, as she showed the small artefact. –“It’s covered in this goo, just like the rest of me, but other than that, it’s okay.” -she admitted, as she made an effort to sweep the ectoplasm from it.

“Great! Now we can get out of here and join the others.” -Rena Rouge sighed, relieved to know they had what they had come for.  

But, getting out was not going to be as easy as they thought; at least, it did not look that way. The fox heroine had just finished talking, when the cathedral’s doors burst into splinters, letting out the hungry and savage werewolves they had managed to outsmart to get in there. On top of all, more gargoyles sprang from the walls of the cathedral, spreading their wings and taking into the air, where the ghosts were also.

“Werewolves, ghosts and more gargoyles… I’m starting to think we over welcomed our stay, people.” -Rena Rouge said, as the werewolves closed in on them.

“We’ve got to get out of here, and fast! Can you fly?” -Antelope asked Dragonfly.

“I can run, but my head is still too fuzzy for me to get off the ground.” -Dragonfly answered him.  

“I can try and cast a couple of shields around us, and then create a way through the crowd with them.” –Carapace suggested.

“That sounds like a good idea. A way out, without having to fight gargoyles and werewolves, sounds just like what the doctor ordered for me, right about now.” -Dragonfly declared, knowing Carapace’s energy shields would be able to shield them from all the creatures, minus the ghosts. She wanted to fight them, but she also knew she was in no shape to fight, for the next half hour. She needed time to get her strength back.    

“No, it will take too long. By the time you end up building us a way out, those things will have time to find a way to get to us. We’re going to have to do this another way.” -Rena Rouge declared, as she saw the gargoyles hovering over them.

“You mean…” -Carapace said.

“Yap. Get ready to run, everyone! One mist illusion, coming up!” -Rena Rouge, as she brandished her flute staff, and a cloud of mist came out of it, spreading all over the place like wildfire.   

* * *

None of the ideas she had to take down the Ash Golem, and Corbeau Noire was beginning to think there was no way to defeat the creature. Still, both her pride and stubbornness did not allow her to give up. Inside her, a voice kept telling her that there had to be a way, and that she just had to find it. Pulling herself up, after being thrown against one of the many gravestones around by the enormous creature, and laying there for about half a minute, without moving a muscle, she saw Flamingo and Grizzly Bear were themselves fighting against the creature, who had seemingly tired itself of her.

“This thing… this thing has to have a weak spot, or at the very least, there has to be a way to defeat it…” -Corbeau Noire sighed, as she felt a strong pain coursing through her back. –“Ouch, I’m going to be sore in the morning.”

Roaring in anger, the Ash Golem moved at an incredible speed and before you know it, it rammed Flamingo and Grizzly also against some nearby gravestones. While Grizzly fell hard on one of them, Flamingo was able to dodge them before hitting the ground. Though she was able to avoid the gravestones, her landing was anything but smooth. Corbeau, seeing the blonde on the ground, rushed to her side. Kneeling at her side, she saw that she seemed alright, just a little paler than usual.

“Are you okay?”

“I-I’m okay, Jules.” -Flamingo answered her, calling Corbeau by her nickname. –“But I’m going to feel this in the morning.” -she said, as she rubbed her left arm.

“You and me.” -Corbeau smirked at her girlfriend. –“Well, at least you’re still in one… look out!!!!”

Somehow, someway, the Ash Golem managed to get behind them and was about to stomp them. The raven heroine was so startled by it, she did not have the time to react. The only thing her instinct told her to do, was to curl herself against Flamingo to protect her, and wait for the impact. Luckily, help came in the form of Grizzly Bear, who dashed in front of the creature and quickly grabbed them, dragging them away from there, as the creature’s feet hit the ground, with them feeling the full strength of the impact tremor. Sprinting as fast as his feet allowed him, he did not stop until he felt they were out of sight form both the golem and the zombies. Hiding behind the ruins of what used to be a mausoleum, Grizzly Bear dropped the girls, and tried to catch his breath, believing that for at least a little bit.    

“That was a close one.” -Grizzly said, still panting, as he looked over one of the crumbled mausoleum walls. He saw that the Ash Golem was looking for them, and by doing it, he was stomping on everything that stood in its way, whether it was trees or gravestones, or one of the countless zombies that had risen from the ground.  

“Too close for my taste.” –Corbeau Noire sighed.

“It’s a good thing you were nearby.” -Flamingo told him. –“A couple of seconds later, and we would’ve been flattened.”

“Glad I could help.” -Grizzly smiled. He tried not to look worried, but his eyes could not hide the fact that he was starting to wonder if they would be able to complete their mission and get out of there in one piece. –“By the way, and don’t take this the wrong way, but, tell me you have a plan to take down that thing.” -he asked Corbeau Noire, a little hesitant. He did not want the girls to know he was worried.

She wanted to answer him she had a plan, but the truth was, she was out of ideas. The Ash Golem seemed indestructible, and on top of that, the zombies seemed to keep multiplying, preventing Flamingo and Grizzly from helping her fight it. She did not want to admit it, but right then, they seemed to be between a rock and a hard place.   

“I’ve tried everything! All my attacks just pass through it. There’s no way we can cut, chop, or blast that thing, no matter how much we want!” -Corbeau Noire said, as she too looked over the crumbled wall, to see the Ash Golem seemingly looking for them.

“Maybe we don’t need to…” -Flamingo said. –“Maybe you’re fighting it the wrong way.” -she said.

“What are you talking about?” -Corbeau asked her.

“That creature is made of tiny specks of ash. Every time you try to destroy it, your attacks go through it. But, what if instead of trying to destroy it, you try to deconstruct it.”

“Deconstruct? What are you taking about?” -Grizzly asked out loud, puzzled with that conversation.

“I think I know what you mean, and you’re right. It’s worth a shot.” -Corbeau Noire said, as an idea popped into her head. Getting up, she jumped over the mausoleum’s wall. –“Give me some cover, and make sure those zombies don’t come for me,okay!”

Doing as she asked her, Flamingo grabbed Grizzly by the wrist and pulled him back into the battle. If the raven heroine asked them to give her some cover and keep the zombies away from her, while she dealt with the golem, that was just what they were going to do.  

“Take down as many as you can with your special attack!” -Flamingo told Grizzly Bear, as she used her powers to create multiple copies of herself. –“I’ll help you, while also giving Corbeau some cover, alright?!” -she and her copies exclaimed in chorus. She was starting to get a little exhausted and could not create as many copies of herself as she could before, but she was still able to create enough copies to handle the job.

“Let’s do it!” -Grizzly smirked, as he looked at the massive number of zombies in front of him.

Deconstruct. When she heard her girlfriend speak that expression, Corbeau Noire understood what she had been doing wrong until then. She had been trying to destroy something that could not be destroyed by conventional means. Instead of trying to destroy it, she was going to try and deconstruct it. When she was younger, she loved to watch science shows, and her favourite ones were the ones where they showed how molecules and atoms assembled and disassembled themselves. Bearing that in mind, she figured that the Ash Golem’s body composition would work the same way. All she had to do was find a way to deconstruct it, just like she saw on all those science shows.

“ _If this works, and I hope it does, Rose, I’ll never let you forget how much of a genius you are._ ” -Corbeau Noire thought to herself, as she landed in front of the Ash Golem.

Focusing, she took control of some nearby shadows. Using her hand mirror, she began to shape the shadows into what could be described as a makeshift fan. Unlike Panda Rouge, Corbeau Noire was not an artist, but she still had enough imagination to come up with that thing, which she believed would help her defeat the Ash Golem. Commanding the shadowy fan, this one began to move, slow at first, and then faster and faster, blowing the wind. At first, nothing happened, and the Ash Golem just stood there roaring towards her like a wild animal. But then, as the wind became stronger, what she hoped to happen, happened. Little by little, the ashes that composed the golem began to scatter far and wide. The Ash Golem, feeling itself diminishing, still tried to fight back, by crushing Corbeau, but this one was ready for it.

“ _Forget it, you’re not going to turn me into a pancake, mister!_ ” -she thought to herself, as she backflipped, avoiding one of the creature’s fists.

Jumping into the air, where the creature could not get her, she just waited for the creature’s body to be blown away. With one last roar, the Ash Golem disappeared, leaving only the piece of the pendant behind. Landing where the creature once was, she saw the small piece of the jewellery on the ground, kneeling to grab it.

“Jackpot!” -Corbeau Noire smiled, as she grabbed the trinket from the ground. She did not know if the creature could reassemble itself, and if so, how long it would take it to do it, but she knew that she did not want to stay there to find out. Turning around, she waved her hand to one of Flamingo’s copies. –“I got it! Time for us to get out of here!”

When she said that, the zombies became even more aggressive than before. It was as if they had felt the Ash Golem had been destroyed and the piece of the pendant was in the heroes’ hands now. Whether this was true, or that they had decided to show their true strength, the fact was they seemed to be causing a lot more trouble for the heroes, who kept battling them.

“Grab Grizzly and let’s get out of here!” -Corbeau Noire exclaimed at one of Flamingo’s copies, as she took into the air. Once they were airborne, she would help her girlfriend carrying the bear hero out of there, while holding the piece of the pendant. –“ _Next stop, city hall._ ” -she thought to herself.

* * *

Back at the Palais Garnier, Forest Doe and Panda Rouge had their hands full. With Arachnid captured, the two heroes had to simultaneously fight off the ghost creatures that were attacking them, while also trying to save Arachnid, who had managed to get the piece of the pendant. Firing as many arrows as she could, and as fast as she could, Forest Doe tried to keep the ghostly creatures away from her, while thinking of a way to help Arachnid. As for Panda Rouge, he was busy getting the attention of the ghosts, so Doe could save Arachnid, but he was not being very lucky, as the creatures had split up into two groups, each attacking one of them.

“ _These guys are starting to get on my nerves!_ ” -Panda Rouge thought to himself, as he punched one of them, only to see his fist go through it. –“If only I could erase them with my powers.” -he said, as he had tried to do it a few seconds prior, only to see that his powers did not enable him to erase them, the same way as he did with one of his drawings. He had just thrown his spear at one of them, when suddenly, an arrow nearly scratched his shoulder. –“Hey, watch it!”

“Sorry!” -Forest Doe apologized to him. That last arrow was intended for a different target, but because of a momentary fright, she released it too early, nearly hitting Panda. –“ _Got to focus, or we’re never getting out of here!_ ” -she told herself, as she climbed onto the stage.

While Forest Doe tried to come up with a way to free Arachnid, the spider hero was trying his best to free himself from that tight jam he found himself into. The more he struggled to loosen the ropes that had wrapped him like a mummy, the tighter this one became. Still, being stubborn, he kept stirring to the sides, hoping eventually, he would be able to slip away from it.

“Come on, come on… I got to get out of here!” -Arachnid said, as he felt the rope getting tighter around his body. –“Dang it! It’s no use. The more I move, the tighter this rope becomes. Still, there has to be a way for me to get out of here… what was that sound?”

Because he could not see, Arachnid could only imagine what was going on. But if he could, he would see that Forest Doe was trying to cut down the rope that was holding him, with her arrows. Unfortunately, what she thought would be an easy task, became a rather difficult one, as more and more ghosts showed up to attack her. And to make matters worse, they were singing the Phantom of the Opera in a ghostly chorus. In a normal situation, she would have loved to hear that song over and over, because it was one of her favourites. But right then, she just wanted them to stop singing it. Trying to ignore the singing, while fighting them, she did her best to try and help Arachnid.

“Beat it!” -Forest Doe said, as she threw an arrow at one of the creatures, only to be grabbed from behind by two others. –“Hey, let go of me!” -she yelled, as she struggled to get rid of them.

The more she struggled, the tighter their grip on her got. Firming her feet on the floor, she attempted to get rid of her attackers, by backflipping over them and then make use of their confusion to take them down. Unfortunately, another of those creatures anticipated her move, and quickly grabbed her ankles, immobilizing her. Struggling to get rid of her attackers, her brain tried to come up with an alternative for that problem of hers. Unfortunately, nothing came to her mind. Grunting, she demanded they released her.

“Let me go! Let me go, or you’re going to be sorry!” -she said, when one of her creatures grabbed her bow, and tried to take it away from her. –“Hey! Let go of my bow, right now!”

But the creature did not listen to her. Holding Doe’s bow in her invisible hands, she was pierced by a spear… Panda Rouge’s spear. Noticing his friend needed help, he decided to step in and save her.

“Thought you could use a little hand.” -Panda Rouge said, as he grabbed his spear and took down another three enemies with it, before moving in towards the ones that were holding Forest Doe.  

“Do I ever.” -Forest Doe sighed, relieved, as she grabbed her bow from the floor, where it had landed. –“Thanks.”

“My pleasure.” -Panda Rouge told her. –“but before we continue with the pleasantries, maybe we could help him out, so we can leave?”

“Just keep these things away from me long enough, and I’ll handle the rest.” -Forest Doe said, as she pulled one of her arrows, and aimed it up high.

She was going to cut the rope with it, just like she intended from the start. But, just as she was about to fire the arrow, she noticed more ropes coming down from the catwalk, snaking in the air, with a mind of their own. On that very same instant, the ropes launched themselves against her at an incredible speed, forcing her to jump out of the way, before they could coil around her legs and arms. Unlike Arachnid, she was not going to be caught off guard. Turning invisible, she thought this would grant her an advantage, but it did not. Somehow, someway, the ropes knew where she was. But, this did not prevent her from using her bow and arrows to take them down. Panda Rouge, who was busy keeping the creatures away from her, once more realized she needed help. Returning his spear to its regular size, he quickly doodled a few flying scissors to help Doe out, while he focused on taking down the enemies, using nothing but his bare fists and feet.

“ _Hope it helps… and since, I’m doodling, I might as well draw something that will keep these things away. Maybe a barrier of some kind._ ” -Panda Rouge thought to himself.        

Seeing the flying scissors Panda had drew to help her, Forest Doe allowed them to take care of most of the ropes, while she targeted Arachnid. Firing several arrows, some of them failed their designated target, but others hit it, cutting down the ropes that were holding the spider hero in the air. Arachnid himself felt what was happening, and knew it was only a matter of time before he was free. Readying himself, when the final rope was cut, he felt his body falling at great speed towards the floor. Turning visible once again, Forest Doe launched herself to catch him, when one of the last ropes coiled herself around her left leg. Feeling herself caught, she fell on her stomach, and saw everything around her move in slow motion, as her brain tried to process the situation. She knew that even if she was able to pull her leg free, she would not be fast enough to catch her friend, before he fell to the ground. So, she had to improvise. Grabbing the rope, she pulled her with every bit of strength she had, breaking it, and then, uncoiling it from her leg, she used it to quickly lasso Arachnid towards her. Unlike her friend, she was not very good with ropes, but she hoped she was good enough to help him have a smoother landing. The whole scene looked impossible, and yet, she did it. She wanted to catch him, but he ended up falling just a few feet from her. Getting up, she quickly ran towards him to see if he was alright.            

“Are you alright?” -Doe asked Arachnid, as she helped him remove the ropes. She was afraid her crazy rescue attempt had injured him somehow.  

“Well, I’m fine considering things.” –Arachnid said, as he removed the ropes around him. –“Ouch, this is going to sting tomorrow.” -he said, as he reached for his lower back. A fall from that height would’ve killed a regular person. He just thanked the fact that his superhuman invulnerability prevented that from happening.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I wanted to catch you, but…” -Forest Doe kept apologizing for what happened.

“It’s okay, really. Remember, I’m used to fall on my back.” -Arachnid told her. The truth was he had landed many times on his back, when he was still getting used to his powers. –“All it matters is that you got me out of there, and that I got what we came for, right here.” -he declared, showing her the piece of the pendant on his hand.

Seeing it, Forest Doe nearly clapped her hands out of her happiness. Now that they had the pendant’s piece, they could get out of there. A few seconds later, Panda Rouge joined them, huffing and puffing from all the fighting he had been doing. Even after he managed to draw a barrier that kept the enemies away from them, some managed to stay inside it. He had to kick them out himself, resorting to all his fighting moves. Still, no matter how tired or beaten up he felt, he was happy and relieved to see his friend out of danger. And better yet, with the piece of the pendant in his possession.

“So, are we going to stay here, or are we going to get out of here and join the others?” -Arachnid asked the two of them.

“What do you think?” -Forest Doe said sarcastically. –“But I don’t think it’s going to be that easy to get out. Not without fighting our way out of here.”

“Leave that to me and my creativity.” -Panda Rouge said, as he smiled.

Both Forest Doe and Arachnid recognized that smile. Panda Rouge was not one to smile much, but when he did, he smiled in two very distinctive ways. The first was his regular smile, which could be considered as a mix of cuteness and shyness. As for the second, it was his cocky smile, which he made when he had one of his crazy ideas for an awesome drawing, and right then, he had a cocky smile on his face. It did not take long for him to draw what he had envisioned in his mind.

To both his companions, the idea he had was so simple, yet so brilliant they wondered how come they did not think about suggesting it earlier. He drew a glass elevator, like the kind you see on science-fiction movies. After telling them he designed it to be impossible for anything to break it, they both entered in it, as the doors closed behind them. Ascending quite quickly, they went through the ceiling, reaching the rooftop.

“Last floor! Chocolates, candy, and crazy Halloween antics.” -Panda Rouge joked. –“What? Adrien isn’t the only who can crack up jokes, you know?” -he said, when the others eyed him.

“Never mind. I’m just happy to be out of there.” -Arachnid sighed, as they exited the elevator. He was still holding the piece of the pendant in his hand, and he had no intention of letting go of it.

“I just hope the others have managed to also retrieve their pieces of the pendant. This has to be the longest night of our lives…” -Forest Doe said.

“Only one way to find out. Let’s get going.” -Arachnid said.  


	21. Invitation to a Trap

Luna Park; it was one of the first amusement parks in the city of Paris, long before the construction of others such as Parc Asterix and Disneyland. Built near Porte Maillot in the beginning of the 20th century, this amusement park had several rides, including a scenic railway, a river ride and a roller coaster. It remained open until 1931, when it was shut down, but not before the owner tried several desperate measures to keep it open, like buying several embalmed animals and putting them on show. Nowadays, the Palais de Congrés de Paris, which acted as a concert venue, as well as a convention centre and a shopping mall stood in its place. But, the base for most of the park’s ride still existed, buried deep underground. Once Spectrum turned Paris into the closest thing to Halloween Town, what was left of the park’s original foundations, came sprouting from the ground like a blasted weed, replacing the concert venue with a ghoulish version of what the amusement park had been so long ago.  

Sensing it, the villain felt it was the perfect place for him to finish the Miraculous Team, but not before he sent them on a wild goose chase. By sending them after the piece of the Samhain pendant, it would give him the time he needed to spruce up the place, and making things perfect, for when the time came to destroy them. He owed it to Hawk Moth, who had brought him to life. If not for him, Spectrum would still be a mere Halloween prop, adorning a Halloween float. Using his powers, he summoned all sorts of creatures to that place, while also sprucing it up as well. He wanted Ladybug and the remaining heroes to feel welcomed and terrified, when they arrived. Standing on top of the Ferris wheel, Spectrum contemplated that which he considered a fitting tribute to Halloween, as well as a death trap to the Miraculous Team. 

“ _Yes, this looks promising. But it’s still not good enough. An artist… a true artist needs the right stage for his performance. And on this Halloween, this will be a performance no one will ever forget._ ” –Spectrum thought to himself, as he thought on what else he could do to make that place even scarier and deadlier

“This looks promising.” -a voice was heard from behind Spectrum. He recognized the voice, and as he turned around, he saw Hawk Moth looking at him; his lips forming a sadistic smile. No doubt he had come to check on how he was progressing, and Spectrum believed he was going to be quite pleased with what he had accomplished until then. Along with them him were both Reptile and Madame Romani.

“My master.” -Spectrum said, as he bowed down.

“I have to say I like what you did with the place.” -Hawk Moth declared. –“It is not my style, but it is a certain improvement.” -he said. Once he would rise to power, Hawk Moth intended to rebuild entire cities, so these would fit not only his purposes, but his personal taste.

“Thank you, master.” -Spectrum said, appreciating what he saw as a compliment.

While Hawk Moth talked with Spectrum, Reptile and Madame Romani talked between them on what they saw.

“A carnival? That thing expects to kill those kids with some kiddie rides?!” -Reptile asked the gypsy woman.

“You call that carrousel with those sharp blades a kiddie ride?” -Madame Romani asked him, as she pointed to the ride in question. -“This Spectrum is really something. Where others have failed, he’ll succeed.” -she said in a low voice.   

“But, you still haven’t fulfilled your end of the bargain.” -Hawk Moth said, this time with a colder, almost ghastly voice. –“You still haven’t killed Ladybug and the other brats, and destroyed their miraculouses.”

Hearing those words, Spectrum knew he was right. He still had not fulfilled the end he had been brought to life for. But he also knew it was only a matter of time, and he had absolute confidence in himself, as well as in the creatures he had summoned to scare and terrorize everyone in Paris, to pull that job, one way or another.

“My apologies, master, but it won’t be long now. I know that sending them on what you might think was a wild goose chase, searching for a trinket seems like a waste of time, but believe me when I say to you that it will be that wild goose chase that will give me the upper hand, when the final confrontation begins.” -Spectrum said. –“By doing so, I intended to weaken them, and who knows, even dispose of some of them in the process, so that when they arrive here, they will be exhausted, and ready for the killing.” -he explained himself to Hawk Moth.

“I see.” -Hawk Moth said, in a neutral voice. –“Very well, I’ll leave to it. But remember, do not fail me.”

“I will not, master. You have my word on two things. Those kids will soon be dead by my own hand, and those miraculouses of them will be nothing more than a memory.” -Spectrum declared.

“For your own good, you better not forget those words, Spectrum.” -Hawk Moth said, as he lifted his cane and bashed its tip, disappearing in a cloud of smoke, followed by Reptile and Madame Romani.  

After Hawk Moth and his lieutenants disappeared, the villain’s last words kept echoing inside Spectrum’s mind. Like a broken record, those words kept repeating themselves. You could say they were burning themselves in his mind and soul, if he had one, and they were acting as fuel. And as they did, he felt that his mission was not just something he owed Hawk Moth to do, but also to himself. He had been created with the purpose of bringing down the Miraculous Team, and that was just what he was going to do… not just for Hawk Moth, but for himself.

“ _Fear not, my master. I will prove my worth by destroying those kids and their miraculouses. I will… or I will die trying it._ ” -Spectrum thought to himself. –“ _And the creatures of the hellish of nights will help me._ ”    

* * *

 

Standing on the Place de l’Hotel-de-Ville, Paris City Hall was first established in 1357, and over the course of the centuries it served as the headquarters of the municipality of Paris. It was a building that everyone in Paris knew, and although it was not as famous as some of the city’s landmarks, like the Eiffel Tower, or the Louvre or even the Moulin Rouge, it was still seen by many as a meeting point. And it had been the one place Ladybug and the rest of her team had agreed to meet up, after they had found one of the four pieces of the Samhain pendant. From all the buildings that had changed in Paris, the city hall was probably one of the few that changed very little. Other than looking a little bit darker and spookier, with numerous menacing gargoyles spread all over its front, the building looked pretty much the same. The square looked like a battlefield, where numerous living skeletons and werewolves kept roaming, thrashing just about anything there was to thrash in it, while also chasing and attacking anything that moved, whether it was animal, or human. Though most people had managed to get out of the streets, seeking refuge indoors, some still dared to venture out in the open, hoping to find either a better hiding place, or someone who could help them.  

The first ones to arrive at the rendezvous were Corbeau Noire, Flamingo and Grizzly Bear, followed by Rena Rouge, Carapace, Dragonfly and Antelope, who along the way managed to save a couple of people, who had fallen prey to the numerous monsters that roamed the streets of Paris. Landing on the City Hall rooftop, they were greeted by their friends, who were relieved to see them alright.      

“We were starting to believe, we had been the only ones who managed to get this.” -Flamingo declared, as she showed Rena and the others their piece of the pendant. Corbeau Noire had given it to her, for safe keeping.  

“Well, I don’t know about you, but for us, getting ours was not exactly easy.” -Carapace said, as he showed their piece of the pendant.

“Oh, believe me, we had our fair share of trouble, while trying to get it.” -Corbeau Noire told him. –“I don’t know what you guys had to face, but we had our hands full with both zombies and a giant monster made out of ashes.” -she declared.

“A monster… made of ashes?” -Antelope asked her, puzzled. In his head, he tried to picture how the creature looked like, as the raven heroine told him their encounter with the Ash Golem.

“Yup, and zombies. Lots and lots of zombies.” -Flamingo said. All that action had made her feel quite exhausted, so she was taking that opportunity to just sit down, with her legs crossed, and relax a little bit.

“I think I never crushed the heads of so many zombies, in my life.” -Grizzly declared, as he remembered about it.

“But, you never crushed the head of a zombie before, Ivan.” –Flamingo pointed out.

“Not in real life, but when it comes to videogames, I spend some of my free time killing them online.” -Grizzly stated.  

“What happened to you?” -Corbeau Noire asked Dragonfly, who was still trying to get some of the ghost slime from her hair and clothes. The ghostly substance had stuck to her, and she was having a hard time cleaning herself.

“Long story short, I was slimed by ghosts.” -Dragonfly, as she removed another piece of the ghostly gunk from her boots.

“Technically, they didn’t slime you. You were the one who went against them, and not the other way around.” -Antelope pointed out in a mocking tone. Every time he had the chance, he would find a way to tease and mock Dragonfly. Some would say the way he did it, it meant there was love between the two of them, but the truth was the only thing between them was a great rivalry –“So, you can’t really blame them for it.”

“Kim, for your own sake, shut up, or I’ll make you eat my frisbee.” -Dragonfly warned him in an angry tone. She was in no mood for any kind of jokes, as she kept cleaning herself, while thinking just what that gunk was made of.

“Hey, I’m just trying to lighten the mood.” -Antelope told her.

“Then, go do that somewhere else… or, you could be helpful and help me get this thing from my hair.” -Dragonfly told him.    

With the minutes going by, there was no sign of either Ladybug or any of the others, and Rena Rouge was starting to get worried. Still, on the outside, she kept it cool. The last thing she wanted was to worry the others. She knew they were also worried about their friends, but just like her, decided not to show it. Deep down, she knew there was no use in expressing her worries, when the word of order was serenity, in order not attract bad energies or thoughts.

“ _Come on, Marinette… where are you?_ ” -Rena thought to herself, as she kept scouting the skyline for any sort of movement.

She kept her composure, but there was no fooling Carapace. He knew her far too well, and whenever he saw her acting like that, he knew she was worried. Making sure the others were distracted, he silently walked towards Rena. Nearing her, he placed his left hand over her shoulder, gently caressing it. He used to do that, when he felt the brunette was too stressed. It was his way to show her he was there for her.

“Stop worrying.” -Carapace told her.

“I’m not worried.” -Rena Rouge lied. She did not want him to worry about her.

“Come on, Alya. You can fool anyone, but not me. You know that, not counting your parents, Marinette and I are the only ones who can tell when you’re pretending everything is okay, but deep down, you are worried sick.” -Carapace said, as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

There was no way for her to deny it. Though she tried, she could never truly hide her feelings from him.

“I’m worried about Marinette and the others, Nino.” -Rena Rouge sighed, finally letting out what was on her mind. –“They should’ve been back by now.” -she said. –“Do you think something happened to them?”

“I don’t know, Alya, but we need to have faith in our friends and their powers.” -Carapace said. –“Let’s remember that this isn’t their first rodeo, just like it isn’t ours, even though we got pulled into this life not so long ago.” -he stated.

Once more Carapace knew just what to say, and how to say it. After she heard him say those words, the fox heroine became a little calmer. She did not know he was able to do it, but she was glad he did. With her spirit a lot calmer, she let him keep hugging her, while she remained vigilant for any of the remaining heroes. When they showed up, she would be the first to notice them. And it did not take long for some of them to show up. Panda Rouge, Forest Doe and Arachnid arrived at the rendezvous, relieved to see their friends had also managed to come back safe and sound. Still, there was no sort of sign from Ladybug’s group, and that just made Rena become even more nervous. And she was not only one who was worried. The rest of the team was also starting to wonder what could have happened to them. Forest Doe and Flamingo both tried to reach them, but they did not answer.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to fear the worse.” -Flamingo said, as she tried to reach them over the cell. It was times like that she liked they all had their cell phones imbued in their weapons. –“I already called each one of them at least once, and none of them answers.”

“I say we go after them!” -Antelope suggested. –“We know where they went, so it’s just a matter of getting there. They might actually need our help.” -he said.

“No. We can’t do that.” -Rena Rouge declared. She was hating herself for saying those words right then, but she knew that was what Ladybug, as their leader, would say in a situation like that.

“And why not?!” -Antelope asked her. –“If they’re in trouble, we have to help them.”

“Look, I understand what you’re saying, but we have to remember what’s at stake here.” -the fox heroine stated. –“If something happens to them, it’ll be up to us to save the day, especially, if they aren’t able to bring the last piece of the pendant with them.”

“You really think we need the pendant to face that clown?” -Dragonfly asked her. She did not say a word about it, but ever since they heard Spectrum telling them that in order to face them, they needed to have the four pieces of the Samhain pendant, she thought that there was something behind that statement. Of course, she did not say a thing back then, because she could have been wrong about it. But now, the more she thought about it, she wondered if the all thing was just a pretext to have them going on a wild goose chase, just to exhaust them. –“Because the more I think about it, the more I think he sent us to find the pieces of this pendant just to drain our energy in meaningless battles, so we become easy pickings.”

“She does have a point, you know?” -Panda Rouge said. –“And I can’t say I would be surprised.”

Before she could say she agreed with them both, the fox heroine heard Corbeau Noire calling out Ladybug’s name. She had spotted the scarlet heroine, along with Chat Noir, Queen Bee and Louve Grise, making their way towards them. When she saw the four of them, it felt to her like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. As they landed on the rooftop, her lips formed a smile.

“What took you guys so long?!” -Carapace asked them, as he fist bumped Chat Noir.

“You guys were starting to worry us.” -Flamingo declared.

“Sorry, but let’s just say we had a couple of problems exiting the Louvre.” -Ladybug smiled.

“Yeah, problems with capes, sharp fangs and an unhealthy appetite for blood.” -Queen Bee sighed. She was feeling exhausted, after using her powers to create the tornado that sent the vampires that were chasing them earlier, flying away. –“I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to see another vampire as long as I live.” -she said, still feeling repulsed by the vampires.

“Don’t worry, Chloé, you sent them flying away. If I were them, I wouldn’t dare show my face in front of you.” -Louve Grise smiled to her friend.

“Thanks, Sabrina.” -the bee heroine smiled back at her.

“Vampires? Look on the bright side, at least you didn’t run into lawyers, because the only difference between those and vampires, is that the vampires only suck you dry at night.” -Antelope joked, even though it had been a terrible joke. Needless to say, that that lame joke earned him a smack on the back of the head from Dragonfly. –“Ouch!” -he said, as he rubbed the place where the girl had hit him.

“I swear that if you say one more corny and lame joke tonight, I’ll personally kick your butt, you hear me?” -Dragonfly told him. She did not like his stupid jokes, and she was not afraid to tell him that they sucked.

“Nobody appreciates my comedic genius.” -Antelope said, making Dragonfly roll her eyes in annoyance.

“Never mind those two.” -Carapace told Chat, ignoring them. –“So, did you get the piece of the pendant, bro?” -he asked the feline hero.

“You bet we did. Not even a whole army of bloodsuckers would’ve stopped us from bringing it with us.” -Chat smirked, as he tilted his head towards Ladybug, who was holding the piece of the pendant in her hand. 

“Great. Now, we just need to assemble it and see what happens.” -Grizzly said.

“Alright, gather around and let’s see how this is assembled.” -Ladybug declared.  

Gathering around in a small circle, they gave Ladybug the other three pieces and she immediately began to assemble it. Trying to remember how the pendant looked like when Spectrum projected its image in the air, she did her best to figure out how to fit the pieces. And though she felt a little pressure, by having her friends all staring at her in silence, she did not say a word. One or two of them wanted to ask her if she needed any help, but refrained on it, letting her do it alone. After about a minute or so, she had managed to assemble it, and held it on the tips of her fingers, admiring it. Though it was something conjured and created by an evil creature, aesthetically, the pendant was quite beautiful, representing the spirit of what Halloween truly was.

“Done!” -Ladybug could not help but to smile at job well done, while she kept admiring it.

“Uh… shouldn’t something happen?” -Forest Doe asked her.

“Yeah, I was expecting something to happen, once we assembled that thing.” -Arachnid agreed with Doe.  

“You ain’t the only one.” –Queen Bee declared. –“After all the work we had to find those pieces, so we could assemble them, you would expect it to, I don’t know, sparkle or light up in flames, or something else.” -she said.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting it to sparkle or light up in flames, but…” -Flamingo said.

“I told you this was one big wild goose chase.” -Dragonfly sighed. –“This was just a way for that creature to…”

Dragonfly had not finished talking, when the pendant in Ladybug’s hands began to glow, floating a few centimetres from the palm of her hand, before shooting itself into the air like a rocket, scaring them all. With their hearts still ticking at an incredible speed, they had not recuperated from that scare, when in the evening sky, a giant image of Spectrum showed up, smiling creepily at the whole city. The heroes could not help but to remember Madame Romani had done something similar a few weeks before, when she kidnapped Manon and tried to force them to surrender their miraculouses in exchange for the little girl’s life.

“Congratulations, Miraculous Team. You have managed to complete the quest I assigned you earlier this evening.” -the giant Spectrum exclaimed with a booming voice. –“I’ll be honest. I was expecting that you would not be able to get all of the pieces… well, not without one or two of you dying in the process.” -he said with a cold and creepy voice. –“But, who cares? You all survived the quest, and now you have earned the right to face me!”

“I knew it! That guy really sent us on a wild goose chase, to see if he could get rid of us, without having to dirty its hands!” -Dragonfly exclaimed.

“Quiet, Alix, and let us hear it!” -Antelope shouted at her.

“Don’t give me orders! You’re not my mom nor my dad!” -Dragonfly shouted back at him.

“Shut up, both of you! This isn’t the time to be arguing.” -Louve Grise snapped at them. She did not want to mishear a word coming out of Spectrum’s mouth.

“And so, I come here to invite you to come to my encounter.” -Spectrum declared. –“To do so, come to the Place de la Concorde, where you’ll find something awaiting for you. Don’t take too long, now.” -he said, just before he disappeared.

* * *

At the same time, in Master Fu’s place, the old master had the company of little Manon and Marinette’s parents, who had taken the little one trick or treating, and saw themselves finding refuge there. After the giant image of Spectrum in the night sky disappeared, things became a little quieter. The street looked deserted, with a scream or a howl being heard from time to time. Still, no one dared to even ponder the idea of going outside. Seconds looked like hours, as Sabine tried to reach her daughter over the cell phone. But no matter how many times she looked at it, she kept reading “No Signal”. And after seeing that monster’s face appearing in the sky, Sabine became even more worried than ever.

“No Signal?” -Sabine asked out loud, in frustration. She’d been checking her cell every ten seconds or so, for any changes.  

“Sabine, honey, try to calm down a little.” -Tom told her. –“I’m sure Marinette is alright.” -he said in a gentle tone.

“How do you know that, Tom?!” -Sabine snapped at her husband. She did not want to, but her nerves got the best of her. –“I-I’m sorry… it’s just that… I’m so worried about Marinette. For all we know, she could be injured… or worst.” -she said, as she tried not to cry. She knew that if shed a single tear as it was, she would start crying uncontrollably, and she did not want that to happen. She did not want to cry around Manon and worry her.

“Honey, honey, please. Don’t say that. I know you’re scared. Believe me, I’m also scared and although it doesn’t look like it, I’m also worried about our little girl. But, we must believe she’s alright and that she’ll eventually call us to say where she is and that she’s alright, or we manage to contact her.” -Tom tried to calm her down. –“We just have to believe that.”   

Taking a deep breath, she hugged Tom with all her strengths. It was times like those she knew she had married the best man in the world.

“Yes, we have to believe.” –Sabine agreed, while holding her tears.

She had just finished speaking, when Master Fu entered the room, carrying a tray with a tea pot and several tea cups, with Manon by his side. As always, the old master felt that a nice cup of tea was the ideal way to calm ones’ nerves, and Manon had been helping him with it. Setting the tray on the small table that was on the centre of the room, he smiled at both Tom and Sabine.

“The little one felt that we all needed something warm to calm us down, so, I decided to make some tea.” -Master Fu said, as he picked up one of the cups with his right hand. –“I didn’t know what you liked, but from personal experience, though people have different tastes when it comes to tea, I know that almost everyone enjoys Oolong tea.” -he said, as he poured the steaming tea into the cup.

“Thank you.” -Sabine smiled, as she grabbed the cup. –“For the tea, and for helping us.”

“Oh, no need to thank me. I was taught that no matter the time or the occasion, one must always show kindness towards others.” -Master Fu said, as he handed a cup to Tom. –“Besides, I was not going to let you stay outside. I’m only sorry that my humble home isn’t bigger, so other people could have come and seek refuge in it.” -he declared. –“But, at least it’s big enough for the four of us. Would you also like something sweet to go with your tea, little one?”

“No, thank you.” -Manon waved her head, as she took a piece of candy from her bag of treats.

“Manon, what did we talk about, before we went trick or treating, sweetie?” -Sabine asked her, as she saw the little girl eating some of the candy she had won that evening.

“Leave her be, Sabine. It’s just a piece of candy, and besides, after that scare, I think she’s entitled to some candy.” -Tom told his wife, before sipping his tea. –“But, don’t eat too many of those, Manon, or else, you’ll get a tummy ache.” -he warned her.

“Okay.” -Manon waved her head.   

As she ate the piece of candy, Manon went to the window and stared outside, thinking on where Ladybug and the others were right then. In her young mind, she imagined they would be fighting one or several monsters that came out of the shadows that night. When she saw Spectrum’s giant image on the sky, she did not say a word, but she was scared, and she walked to the kitchen, where Master Fu comforted her and assured her that the miraculous heroes would prevail.

“ _Marinette… no, Ladybug, wherever you and the others are, please, don’t get hurt._ ” -Manon thought to herself, as she kept staring out the window, hoping that all of that would end soon. 

* * *

As they made their way to the Place de la Concorde, all the members of the Miraculous Team knew they were walking right into a trap. They knew that whatever Spectrum had in store for them, it would not be something good. They could already imagine what fiendish trap he would have waiting for them. But even knowing it was a trap, they pressed forward. They knew they were the only ones who could put an end to that Halloweenesque madness that Spectrum had unleashed upon the city. Jumping from building to building, they rushed the pacing to get to their destination. The faster they got to that square, the faster they would find out what Spectrum had prepared for them.

“ _Whatever that creep has in store for us, he’s going to be sorry for messing with us and with our city._ ” -Ladybug thought to herself.

“ _If Hawk Moth thinks he’s going to win tonight, he better think twice about it. As long as we’re around here, no matter what he throws at us, we’ll just take it down and send it back from where it came._ ” -Chat Noir thought to himself.    

As they crossed the Jardin des Tuileries, or what it once had been that place, they could not help but to feel they were being watched. By who or what, they did not know, but they all felt like they had several pairs of eyes looking at them. It would not surprise them if something came out of the bushes or the creepy looking trees, hungry for blood and attacked them. Still, that did not prevent them from continuing their way towards the place where Spectrum had told them to go. As for what was waiting for them, they had all silently decided that whatever it was, they would worry about it, when the time came. Arriving at the Place de la Concorde, they saw this one filled with numerous creatures roaming around. Most of them looked like they were in another world. Only when the first of the heroes stepped into the square did they react, growling and snarling at them. When this happened, they all readied themselves to fight them, believing that was just part of Spectrum’s welcoming wagon. Yet, as they waited for any of the creatures to attack them, this did not happen. They just stood there, staring at them.

“Aren’t they going to attack us?” -Corbeau Noire asked the others.

“We spent all night fighting these things, who just want to make a meal out of us, and now, they stand there, just looking at us?!” -Panda Rouge asked, intrigued by the scenario in front of them.  

He had just finished talking, when the creatures began to move, forming a corridor all the way to the Luxor Obelisk in the middle of the square. Seeing this happening, the heroes wondered why they had done this.

“I don’t like this.” -Ladybug whispered to Chat Noir, who was by her side. –“What do you suppose this means?”

“I don’t know, really. But, I think they want us to head towards the obelisk.” -Chat whispered back at her.

“Would you guys care to share with us what you’re talking?” -Antelope asked them.

“I was saying that it seems these things want us to go to where the obelisk is.” -Chat answered him.

“And are we going?” -Arachnid asked him.

“Yes. Follow me… and no, no flying, Chloé.” -Ladybug told the bee heroine, after she noticed she was about to take off. –“I don’t think these things will attack us while we’re on the ground or flying, but let’s not give them a reason to do it.” -she explained. –“And that goes for everyone who can fly, float or swing, okay? We don’t want to give these things a reason to attack us, plus, we need to keep our strength.”

Following the scarlet heroine’s orders, they all moved behind her, while not taking their eyes of the living skeletons, zombies and werewolves that were starring them. Even knowing they could take them all down with their powers, that did not prevent the young heroes’ hearts from pounding inside their chests, in fear of what might happen next. The walk towards the obelisk, which took them only a couple of seconds felt like an eternity. When they stopped in front of the stone monument, they were able to see up-close just how much this one had changed. Though the stone’s colour had not changed, the Egyptian hieroglyphs carved on it had been replaced by what they thought were either northern or Celtic runes. Its base was also larger, and on the ground, you could see various offerings displayed, as if they had been placed there for the gods of old.  

“Well, we’re here. Now what?” -Rena Rouge asked Ladybug.

“I don’t know, but… wait, do you hear that?!” -Ladybug asked her, as she heard something approaching.

“Heard what?” -Carapace asked her.

“That!” -Flamingo exclaimed.

Approaching from the north side of the square, seven carriages appeared out of nowhere, being pulled by skeleton horses, their footsteps echoing in the air. Upon arriving where Ladybug and the rest of the heroes where, they stopped. Looking at the carriages, they did not know what felt more surreal, the horses or the carriages themselves. The skeleton horses had red glowing eyes and every time they neighed, bursts of fire came out from their nostrils. All in all, they looked like something that had come from straight from the bowels of Hell or sprung from a horror videogame. As for the carriages, these could be described as something Count Dracula would have in his garage. The most distinctive features in the carriages were their spiked wheels, as well as the metallic body, which had been done to look like a twisted orange pumpkin. They also noticed the unique coat of arms on the doors, which resembled the Samhain pendant once assembled. Sitting on the box of each carriage was a driver, whose appearance could be described as a gloomy figure dressed in a black cloak, which prevented anyone from seeing their faces. The only clue as to what they looked like under the cloaks were their grey hands, that looked more like claws, leaving the rest of their true appearance to the heroes’ imaginations.  

“What do we do? Do we enter them, or not?” -Rena Rouge asked Ladybug.

“I don’t think we have much of a choice.” -Ladybug declared.


	22. Eternal Halloween

When the last one of the heroes climbed onto the carriages, the doors closed behind them on their own, and the horses neighed, just before beginning to move. As the carriages moves forward, the heroes asked themselves where they were being taken. Being paired up in different carriages, the heroes did not have the chance to discuss amongst themselves where they were going or what would they do when they got there. Each one of them, could only talk to the person they had been paired up with. In the first carriage, Ladybug and Chat Noir asked themselves what they were going to do, once they arrived at their destination.

"What do you think about it?" -Chat Noir asked Ladybug.

"A-About what?" -Ladybug asked him, a little startled. Her mind had drifted to somewhere else for a brief second.

"About this… I know we're heading straight towards a trap, but still, what do you think is going to happen?" -Chat Noir asked her once more.

"If I had to take a guess, I would say that as soon as we get there, that guy is going to start gloating about himself and whatever else he thinks is worth gloating about. And after that, he's going to attack us with every kind of dirty trick he has up his sleeve." -Ladybug answered him. You could hear the stress in her voice. She was worried about what Spectrum had in mind for them, once they arrived.

"I was thinking the same thing." -Chat nodded with his head.

After he stopped talking, there was silence between them. The only the sound heard in the air was of the horses' hooves. In another situation, the blue-haired girl would have loved to be alone with the boy of her dreams. But right then, she had too much in her mind, to even remember she was alone with him. Thankfully, the feline hero did not forget that, and seeing his friend/crush so stressed and worried, he decided to lighten the mood with some of his antics.

"You know, there is a good thing about all this." -Chat said with a melodious voice, while smirking.

"And what's that?" -the scarlet heroine asked him in a serious tone, not realizing what he was trying to do.

"Well, we're alone, just the two of us…" -Chat smirked.

When he said those words, Ladybug realized what he was doing, and she began to blush. In a matter of seconds, she was as red as radish, or a tomato, matching her outfit. She had gotten used to Chat's antics, but from time to time, he was able to get her off guard, and that was not

"Ad… I mean, Chat, stop it." -Ladybug giggled. For a moment, she nearly used his real name.

"Come on, I'm just trying to keep you from getting all stressed out for nothing, milady." -Chat smiled, as he got out of his seat, and sat next to Ladybug. –"I know you're the leader and all, but you got to relax a little bit."

The way he talked, it made it sound like an easy thing to do. That was what Ladybug thought. But the truth was that it was not as easy as he made it sound. Still, he was right. A good leader must not let stress nor pressure get to him and must always keep a cool head at every moment.

"Oh, alright, I'll try and relax a little bit. If you promise not get frisky with me." -Ladybug giggled.

"Okay, I promise I won't get frisky." -Chat chuckled, as he placed his left arm around her shoulders. –"But, you'll allow me to at least try to keep you warm, won't you, milady?" -she smiled at her. –"I mean, it's a little chilly tonight, and we don't want our beautiful leader to catch a cold and all, now do we?"

"You keep talking like that, kitty cat, and I'll ask the coachman to let you off." -Ladybug joked. She was not going to admit it right then, but she liked when Chat was all playful and jokester with her. It made her feel great about herself. Plus, it was a good way to raise her morale. –"Speaking of which, did you notice the coachman's hands?"

"I did… you think he's going to attack us?" -he asked her.

"Maybe, I don't know." -she declared. She was unsure of what to think.

"I don't know either. But don't worry. If he dares to attack us, I won't let him lay a finger on you." -Chat said in a serious tone, as he gently pulled her towards him.

"I know you won't." -Ladybug smiled. –" _Oh, Adrien… you really are my knight in shining armour… well, more like my knight in a black leather catsuit._ " -she thought to herself, as her smile broadened. –" _I'm so in love with him._ "

" _I'm so in love with you, Marinette._ " -Chat thought to himself. –" _And one of these days, I'll tell you that… hoping you also love me back._ " -he thought innocently, not even suspecting the blue-haired girl only had eyes for him.

But, the scarlet and the feline heroes were not the only couple who was having a moment, while riding in the carriages. A little further back, Carapace and Rena Rouge were also talking among themselves, and though the main conversation theme was trying to guess what awaited them at the end of that ride, there was also a second theme of conversation… Ladybug and Chat Noir.

"You think those two are already smooching each other, by now?" -Carapace asked her.

"I don't think so… you know how she is." -Rena Rouge answered him. –"She can be very shy, especially when it comes to the boy she likes."

"Yeah, I think you're right. Though, he can be super shy, when it comes to admitting his feelings." -Carapace admitted. –"I'll be honest, I've never seen two people more in love with one another, with both not having the courage to say the truth about their feelings." -he said.

"You're right. I just wished one of them would get the courage to spill the beans and tell the other how he feels, so they could stop doing that dance." -Rena Rouge sighed, wishing that would happen.

"We never had that problem." -Carapace chuckled.

"Yeah, but that's because you've got a big mouth, remember?" -Rena giggled, as she playfully touched Carapace's nose with the tip of her flute-staff.

"And aren't you glad that I happen to have a big mouth?" -the turtle hero playfully asked her.

"I sure am." -the fox heroine smiled. –"But, enough small talk. We both need to stay alert." -she said, this time with a serious voice. –"Something smells fishy, and I don't like it."

"You and me. This is the first time we have a villain picking us up and driving us to wherever he's planning to finish us off." -Carapace said, as he looked out the window. –"Where do you suppose these guys are driving us?"

"Beats me." -Rena Rouge told him, as she also looked out the window. She tried to identify where they were, but it was not easy. The only thing she knew was that having the Eiffel Tower on their left, meant they were going north. –"But whatever it is, it's not in the town's centre."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking." -Carapace admitted, as he kept staring outside and wondered where exactly they were being taken to, not liking what he saw. Thanks to the Halloween makeover, Paris was pretty much unrecognizable. Only the most famous landmarks and some of the largest buildings looked pretty much the same. –"We better stay sharp, because I wouldn't be surprised if we were on our way towards a magic portal that led us straight to Dracula's castle in Transylvania."

Though she did not believe that would be the case, Rena Rouge knew they had to keep their eyes peeled for anything. On one of the other carriages, another couple was also talking amongst themselves. But, unlike Ladybug and Chat Noir, as well as Rena Rouge and Carapace, this couple was composed by two girls, Flamingo and Corbeau Noire. Just like the rest of their friends, the girls were having quite the night, and up until then, they still had not had the chance to relax a little and appreciate each other's company. So, when they got inside the carriage, they decided to date a little bit. Nesting herself against the brunette's body, the petite blonde allowed herself to be hugged and rocked by the girl of her dreams. They both knew they should have been preparing themselves for the upcoming battle, but their hearts demanded a little affection, and they figured they could spare a couple of minutes to tell each other how much they meant for one another.

"It's been a crazy night." -Corbeau Noire told Flamingo, as she caressed her face.

"I know. We never had a Halloween night as crazy as this one before." -Flamingo declared.

"Yes. Well, there was that one two years ago, in Alya's home." -the raven heroine reminded her. –"Do you remember it?"

"How could I forget? We did that game of "truth or dare", and they dared me to watch that elevator scene from The Shinning, and I was so scared…" -the blonde told her. Just thinking about it, made her skin crawl. She did not like to think of herself as a scaredy-cat, but horror movies just gave her the creeps, and The Shinning was no exception.

"Yeah, but you pretended you weren't afraid, and saw the whole thing without blinking an eye." -Corbeau told her, as a gentle smile appeared on her face.

"I know. But I ended up having nightmares for a week, thanks to it." -Flamingo said, still remembering it.

"But you stuck to your guns and proved you were not afraid of seeing that frightened you." -Corbeau smiled. –"And that's one of the things I love about you. Even when you are scared, you don't show it, and you dive in, no questions asked." -she told her.

Flamingo just loved to hear her girlfriend talk. She had one of those lovely and beautiful voices that manage to hypnotize a person. She had told her about it a couple of times already, but she always denied it, saying that her voice was anything but hypnotic. But even if she denied it, Flamingo loved her voice and would keep calling it hypnotic, because whenever she heard her, she would become entranced by it.

"Uh… hello? Are you listening to me?"

"Oh, sorry… I got lost in my thoughts." -Flamingo apologized herself, making Corbeau giggle.

"Your mind has the incredible ability to drift away at such speed that it must be an unknown superpower you have." -Corbeau joked, making the blonde giggle.

"As if I needed another superpower." -Flamingo giggled, as she gently leaned upward and kissed her girlfriend, who leaned her face downward, to catch her lips in that sweet kiss.

After that kiss, none of them uttered a single word for a couple of moments. They did not want to spoil that beautiful moment with words. Though they were on their way to a battle that could decide the fate of their city, as well as the rest of the world, they tried not to think about it. They did not want to jinx things, by overthinking about the dangers that awaited them. And then, a bump on the road, which almost made them fall out of their seat, brought them back to reality.

"The road's really bumpy." -Flamingo said. Just like everything else, the road's asphalt had also changed, being magically replaced with cobblestones.

"Like everything happening tonight." -Corbeau declared in a serious tone. That bump on the road had brought her back to reality, and reminded her of the grim situation they were all in. –"And here I thought that we were going to have a quiet night, eating candy, dancing together, spending time with our friends at school and catch an occasional scare."

"Things sure didn't turn out the way we wanted." -Flamingo sighed. –"But don't worry. The night hasn't ended yet, and who knows, I might just ask you to dance again." -she smiled. Her smile always made the brunette feel happy, no matter the situation they were in.

"I'd like that." -Corbeau Noire smiled, as she gently grabbed Flamingo's hands and squeezed them together. –"No matter what happens when we arrive at whatever place we're going, I have your back, okay? I won't let anything hurt you, if I have a word to say about it." -she promised.

"And I've got yours, and I also promise that I won't let anything hurt you." -Flamingo smiled at her girlfriend. The love she nurtured for her was as big as the world itself, and it gave her the strength to face off any challenge.

"I know you will."

The trip to wherever Spectrum was waiting for them seemed to take forever. The only thing the heroes could do, other than talking, was to guess where they were being taken, while also looking out the window and see the places they were passing by. The landscape had changed completely, due to the villain's powers and though they wanted to say it looked dismal, ugly or repulsive, they could not bring themselves to do it. And the reason for that was that that Halloween upgrade to the city, had turned it into something otherworldly beautiful, in its own way. The buildings, the streets, even the water from the Seine, looked like it had sprung from a dream, mixed with all kinds of nightmares. But, unfortunately, this change had also brought with it numerous kinds of dark and dangerous creatures that were now lurking in the streets. They needed to stop Spectrum and return the city to its original appearance.

As they made their way up northwest, they wondered where exactly Spectrum had hidden itself. Some of them had never been on that part of town before, and those who had, wondered what kind of place a maniacal Halloween monster created by Hawk Moth would choose as its headquarters or hiding place, filled with dozens of traps, while waiting for them to show up? They all came up with possibilities in their inner thoughts. When the carriages finally stopped, they saw that whatever they could have imagined, looked pale in comparison to the real thing. Exiting the carriages, the first thing they saw was an enormous iron gate with a creepy neon sign saying, "Luna Park". And beyond it, there was a colossal amusement park. Though not as big as Disneyland or any park of the sorts, its size was still impressive. They did not know just how big it was, but even with the lights off, they could still say it was quite big.

"Luna Park?" -Queen Bee asked, as she read the sign. –"Never heard of it."

"I have." -Arachnid declared. –"I read about it online. It was one of the very first amusement parks that opened in Paris, at the beginning of the 20th century."

"Why am I not impressed?" -Antelope chuckled. –"No offense, bro, but you need to get out a little more. It's not healthy for you to stay that long in front of your laptop." -he said, knowing his friend's habit.

"That coming from someone who skipped training to play Overwatch, a couple of days ago." -Dragonfly raised her eyebrow.

"Hey, it's not my fault that I was chosen to play the beta version of a new character." -Antelope told her.

"Enough, both of you!" -Ladybug exclaimed, putting an end to that discussion. –"I know this is just your way to deal with the pressure, but we need to stay focused." -she said.

"Sorry." -Dragonfly and Antelope apologized in chorus.

"Don't sweat it. We're all a little nervous." –Chat Noir said, as he looked at the imposing gate in front of them. For some unknown reason, the gate itself reminded of him of the gate at his place. –"And this place isn't helping at all." -he stated, feeling a little bit creeped out. He had been having that feeling ever since Spectrum first showed up, but that place seemed to multiply that same feeling by a thousand.

After the feline hero ended talking, there was a moment, where no one spoke. The silence in the air was such that one felt it could be cut with a knife. Feeling uncomfortable with that creepy silence that had seemingly fell upon them, Panda Rouge decided to break it with a question they were all probably pondering about in their minds.

"Hmm… so, what do we do now? Are we going in, or are we going to stay here?" -he asked.

"Of course, we're going in." -Rena Rouge answered him.

"But, do we have to wait for someone or something come and get us, or do we break this gate open?" -Grizzly Bear asked her. –"I, for one, think we should just break this gate and enter… or jump over it, or fly, I don't know." -he said.

"Why don't we ask the creepy guys who brought us here?" -Louve Grise suggested them.

They were about to ask the drivers, when these, along with the carriages and the skeletal horses dissipated in a cloud of smoke. The whole scene looked like something out of a horror movie, staring Bela Lugosi or Boris Karloff, where one of their characters would come out of the fog, menacing whoever stood in their way. Seeing that happening, it made the whole team's skin crawl, while sending shivers up their spines.

"Well, I guess that's out of the point now." -Queen Bee said, sarcastically.

"Then, let's go inside?" -Forest Doe asked them.

"Allow me!" -Grizzly Bear exclaimed, as he crackled his knuckles. –"I'll open this gate in a second."

Positioning himself, the bear hero clenched his fists and lunged himself against the iron gate. With each step he took, he gathered more and more speed. Hoping to build enough momentum, he wanted to wreck the gate with a single punch. But, this proved to be futile; for as soon as his fist struck the gate, a powerful energy discharge went straight through his body, tossing him back. He still tried to fight it, but in the end, he flew a couple of feet in the air, before landing on his back, the others quickly rushed to where he had landed, to see if he was alright.

"Ivan, are you alright?!" -Forest Doe asked him, as she kneeled by his side.

"I-I'm okay…" -Grizzly sighed, as he tried to gain his breath back. –"Whoa… I think… I think I just found out how an electric cable feels like." -he joked.

"Are you sure you're alright?" -Ladybug asked him. You could hear the concern in her voice.

"I'm fine, don't worry." -Grizzly assured her. –"The only thing that thing did to me was turn me into a jumper cable for a mere second. I just need to get up and try again." -he said, as he got back on his feet, with the help of Forest Doe and Dragonfly.

"No, I don't think you should try that stunt again." -Ladybug told him. –"We'll just have to jump over the gate, and…"

Ladybug had not finished her sentence, when the enormous gate began to open, producing a horrible metallic screaking sound, sending shivers up their spines, and freezing the blood in their veins for just a second. If they needed another reason to feel creeped out about that place, that did the trick. Still, that did not stop them from going in. Walking close to one another, the group slowly walked into the amusement park, with their eyes and ears peeled for any kind of traps that would be around, waiting for them to fall into them.

As they made their way inside, they felt they were being watched. But, and unlike the way they felt like, while crossing the Jardin des Tuileries, this time it felt like they were being watched from above. They could not tell why, but it felt different. Plus, the environment did not help at all. The amusement rides looked like they had seen better days. They all looked like they had not been turned on in decades. The tents and the booths looked worn out and shabby, while the rides like the merry-go-rounds and the Ferris-wheel looked like they were about to collapse on their own. If one was to describe them, they would say they looked like wrecks bought from the cheapest two-penny scrapyard there was, rusty, broken and with the paint all cracked. To complete the whole creepy atmosphere, the floor was covered in a thick mist that would not let one see its own feet, which kept moving slowly, as if it had a mind of its own.

"This whole place looks more like a graveyard." -Rena Rouge commented, as she looked at the dilapidated House of Horrors building, which lived up to its name.

"Yeah, a graveyard where old amusement rides come to die a really slow death." –Antelope said, as he looked around the place.

"The only thing missing here is a Grim Reaper animatronic to greet us." -Chat Noir stated.

"Speaking of greetings, where do you think is our host?" -Ladybug asked the feline.

"Yeah, it's rude to keep us waiting!" -Queen Bee exclaimed into the air. –"First you make us search for that stupid amulet, so we can fight you, and now you don't even dare to show yourself?!" -she went on. –"What are you? Chicken?! Show yourself!"

"Don't antagonize him, Chloé…" -Louve Grise whispered at the blonde's ear. She did not fear Spectrum, but she knew it was never a good idea to antagonize an opponent before a fight.

Suddenly, the wind began to blow from the north, lifting the dust of the ground. But, this was no ordinary wind. It felt like when Queen Bee used her tornado attacks. As it blew faster and faster, the heroes felt like they could hear the name of their team being spelled by the wind, in the creepiest way possible. In their minds, they imagined a ghoulish creature, pronouncing it, while hidden in the shadows.

"This wind isn't normal!" -Arachnid said.

"Agreed!" -Ladybug exclaimed, as Chat Noir, placed his hands over her shoulders. –"Something tells me this is Spectrum's way to say that he's here and he was waiting for us." -she told the feline hero.

"Well, it's a way to make an entrance." -Chat shrugged his shoulders.

Then, there was music in the air… the kind of music you hear when you attend a carnival; carny music… creepy carny music. Then, suddenly, the lights went on, and the rides start functioning, playing their individual song. The whole thing looked like something out of a horror movie. The only thing missing was the killer clown wielding a bloody axe or a knife. Though all of that caused the heroes to feel a little unease, they stood their ground, and waited for Spectrum to show himself. They knew the creature was just trying to scare them by making an impression, but they were not going to let one of Hawk Moth's creations intimidate them. As the music grew louder, and the rides accelerated their pacing, Ladybug felt that Spectrum was going to show up at any given moment. After the way the creature introduced himself to them at their school, and the way he spoke and acted, she figured he had a flair for the dramatic; so, she figured he was going to do a dramatic entrance.

And, she was right about it. Strong gusts of wind began to blow, sucking the mist that was covering the ground, right in front of them. Slowly, but steadily the mist began to gain shape, until it tuned into Spectrum himself, hovering above the kids' heads.

"Here we are, mesdames and messieurs! Welcome to Luna Park!" -Spectrum declared in a boisterous voice. –"I take it you are in awe with the place itself, n'est pa?" -he asked them. –"I wanted it to be a glorious stage for what will be your last performance!"

"Oh, cut it out with the small talk! It took you long enough to show up!" -Antelope exclaimed to the villain. –"I was starting to think you were too scared to show yourself!"

"Scared?! Moi?!" -Spectrum said, while laughing. –"Silly young lad. Why would I be scared?! Because you and your friends have arrived?!" -he mocked him, which only made Antelope's blood boil.

"Enough of this!" -Dragonfly exclaimed. –"We did what you asked for, and now here we are, ready to take you down!" -she went on. Now that Spectrum had revealed himself, she just wanted to jump into action, both to kick his butt, and to keep any fears or insecurities she might had inside her, away from her mind.

"She's right. It's time to end this." -Carapace said. –"It was fun while it lasted, but it's time for you to disappear." -he declared, as he grabbed his tonfas.

"Time… such a trivial thing, you know? You keep ruling your lives and everything else connected to them, based on time itself." -Spectrum declared. –"But alas, as of tonight, time will have no importance at all."

When he said those words, the heroes asked themselves what Spectrum was talking about. The whole speech sounded something like a comic book villain would say, but at the same time, it did not feel like it. They had heard their share of empty threats, while battling Hawk Moth and his minions, and the way Spectrum was talking, did not feel like he was throwing empty threats at them.

"What do you mean time will have no importance?!" -Ladybug asked him, demanding an answer.

"I'm actually surprised you haven't noticed what's been happening." -Spectrum grinned at her.

"Stop fooling around and tell us what you're really up to!" -Rena Rouge ordered him. Just like the others, she was sick and tired of playing games.

Upon hearing her say those words, Spectrum let out an evil laughter, which managed to be even louder than the carny music that was in the air.

"You really think this is all about you, don't you?! Since you are all incapable of understanding the simplicity of what is going on, I might as well tell you." -Spectrum said. –"Halloween began long ago to celebrate night's creatures, as well as the creatures from the netherworld. As the embodiment of Halloween itself, I have decided that Halloween itself should go on forever! In fact, it has already begun. Time is slowing down, and soon it will come to a halt."

"He's got to be kidding!" -Antelope exclaimed.

"I don't think he is kidding, guys." -Arachnid declared, as he checked his watch. He noticed his miraculous showed it was a little bit past 10 pm, which was impossible, given they had been out on the streets for hours now. –"I don't know how, but I think time is really slowing down. According to my watch, it's just a bit past 10 pm.

"That's impossible!" -Queen Bee exclaimed. –"Your watch must be broken! We've been fighting on the streets for hours now!" -she kept insisting. A part of her did not want to accept that the Akuma they were facing could have so much power, that enabled him to slow down time itself to a halt. –"I repeat… that's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible, my dear. And if you think that this city will be the only one where that will happen, think again. As I speak, my powers grow strong. Soon, I will be able to plunge this whole world in eternal darkness! Time will sit still, forever. The creatures of the night will be free to walk the Earth, unopposed. And once I destroy you… when that happens, my purpose will have been fulfilled, and my master, Hawk Moth, will finally rule this world!" -Spectrum exclaimed, as he once more let out an evil laugh into the cold night air.

" _An eternal Halloween?!_ " -Panda Rouge asked himself.

" _Could Hawk Moth allow this guy to do that? What am I saying? We're talking about a psychopath who has been trying to conquer the world for thousands of years now. I don't think he'll mind being night all the time. That's a rather small price to pay for ruling the world, unopposed._ " -Ladybug thought to herself.

"That sounds like the plot of an episode of a cheap television show, or a Batman comic book starring the Scarecrow and/or the Joker." -Arachnid declared.

"Well, you're not going to get away with it! We won't allow you!" -Chat Noir exclaimed, as he extended his staff, and prepared himself for battle.

"Yeah, get read, because we're going to use your skull as a bag for all the candy we can find lying around tonight!" -Antelope said, earning the annoyed of some of his friends, who felt that joke was as stale as they come. –"What?! I'm uninspired, okay? Give me a break, I spent the whole night cracking jokes. I'm bound to come up with a lousy one, sooner or later!"

"We'll just see about that." -Spectrum smiled maliciously, as he snapped his fingers.


	23. Battle of Luna Park

When Spectrum snapped his fingers, the wind began to blow violently once more. Its strength was so great, the heroes were forced to cover their eyes. Fearing the worst, Carapace quickly created an energy shield to protect them from any incoming object. Looking through the green-tinted shield, they wondered what the villain had up his sleeve.

“Stay sharp! Something tells me were about to get swarmed with monsters.” -Ladybug told her friends.

She had just ended her sentence, when out of the blue, they saw themselves surrounded by all kinds of creatures. Living skeletons, werewolves, zombies, among others, and they all looked even more menacing than the ones they had been facing all night long. The only thing separating them from the creatures was the turtle hero’s shield. If anyone would ask them if they were scared right then, they would all deny it. But deep down, their hearts skipped a beat at the sight of the challenge that presented itself.

“Looks like they just keep coming back for more.” -Corbeau Noire stated the obvious, as Flamingo silently reached for her left hand, and squeezed her, something she tended to do, when wishing to assure her they would be alright.

Moaning and groaning, the creatures did not lose any time, dragging themselves towards the shield, and converging around it. They had seen the heroes and now, they wanted a piece of each of them. Upon reaching the energy shield, they started to claw it kicking it, and banging against it, hoping to destroy it and gain access to the heroes. You could say that to the monsters, the heroes were like a delicious morsel inside a tough shell, which could only be accessed, after breaking it. As the noise from the creatures became louder and louder, it made it difficult for the young heroes to focus on their own thoughts.     

“So, what’s the plan, milady?” -Chat Noir asked Ladybug, as he watched one of the werewolves trying to claw its way through the energy shield.

“As I see it, we need to take that guy down. If not, he’ll just find a way to conjure more of these creatures.” -Ladybug declared. –“So, here’s what we’re going to do. Everyone who has the ability to fly or levitate, once the shield is out of our way, jump into the air and head straight for Spectrum, while the rest of us take down as many of these creatures as possible, to keep them entertained, for you guys to take him on, without any chance of them getting you.” -she explained. It was a rather simple, and a bit crude plan, she knew that. Still, it could work, if they were lucky. 

“It could work.” –Rena Rouge said. She would be lying to herself, if she did not admit she a little apprehensive with that plan. She knew her best friend too well, and she saw in her eyes that she was not entirely sure of the plan. Still, she also trusted her, and believed that they would find a way out of that jam, somehow, as long as they kept their cool.

“Not exactly your best plan ever.” -Queen Bee told her. She did not want to but ended up sounding like she was unimpressed with what she heard.   

“If you have a better one, go ahead, I’m all ears.” -Ladybug told her. She was expecting a comeback from her, but the blonde did not say a thing.

“Look, can we all agree that it’s a really bad plan, but that we don’t have any other, so we might as well stick to it?” -Chat Noir said out loud, defending Ladybug, while also trying to keep the peace among them.  

“So, what then? They go after Mr. Halloween, and we stay here taking these creatures out? Or is there a second part to your plan?” -Forest Doe asked Ladybug.

“Actually, there is. While the fliers try to weaken Spectrum, we’ll open a path to where he is by ourselves, and then, combine our abilities to take him down, once and for all.” -Ladybug answered her. –“I know it’s a really simple plan, but it’s all I got, and I’m going to ask you guys to trust me.” -she told them all.

“Hey, how about you create us some weapons, so we can dispatch these things faster?” –Antelope asked Panda Rouge. More than once Panda had managed to come up with weapons and contraptions to save their skins in a tight situation.

“Weapons? I guess I could, but what kind of weapons? I mean, we already have ours.” -Panda Rouge said, stating a point.

“Machetes, grenades, knives, machine guns, everything they use on horror flicks to take down monsters.” -Antelope answered him. As a gamer, he had used all of those in videogames, and felt confident enough to use them against the zombies and other creatures that were now trying to break through the energy shield protecting them.  

“You want to go full Walking Dead on these things?!” -Grizzly Bear asked Antelope, not liking where that idea of his was going.

“Why not? These creatures aren’t people…” -Antelope declared.

“Forget about it. It’s not going to happen.” -Ladybug asserted, after hearing enough of that crazy idea from Antelope. Antelope was just about to say something, but she stopped him from uttering another word. –“Look, we’re not going to go Walking Dead on them, you hear me? It’s not even a good idea, much less a decent one. End of story.” -she said, ending that discussion. –“Still, it’s true we could use Nathaniel’s talents to give us a hand.”

“How?” -Louve Grise asked her, curious.

“I know! Maybe he could draw a cage around Spectrum! That way he would be easier to defeat, because, you know, he would be trapped and… sorry, it’s a silly idea. I got a little ahead of myself.” -Flamingo excused herself.

“It’s not a silly idea, Rose. But I don’t think it will work on that guy.” -Corbeau Noire told her, looking at her with a warm smile.

“She’s right.” – Ladybug smiled to her. –“Maybe for another villain, another time. As for the idea of how Nathaniel can help us with his powers…. I don’t really know, but I’m sure he’ll find a way to use his powers, won’t you?” -the scarlet heroine asked Panda Rouge, hoping she was right about what she had just said.

“I think so…” -Panda Rouge answered her, when a brilliant idea came to his mind. When that happened, his face became illuminated, as if he had discovered gunpowder by accident. –“… no, I take that back. I don’t think so. I know so! I just had a great idea!” -he said, as he began sketching. –“Give me one minute, and I’ll give you guys the perfect weapon to take care of these creatures, as well as providing you fliers with the distraction you need to get airborne.”

They wondered what kind of weapon Panda Rouge was drawing, and if it would be good enough to keep up with what he had told them. One thing was for certain, he had surprised them more than one with his imagination and creativity. Still, whatever he had up his sleeve, he would have to draw a lot faster, because the creatures were now starting to pile up against the shield.

“Break the shield, now!” -Ladybug ordered Carapace.

“You sure? I mean, my shields are indestructible, as far as I now.” -Carapace told her. Ever since he got his miraculous, the turtle hero experimented with his shields, to try and see if there was any way or anything out there that could break them. After numerous attempts, he figured the shields were unbreakable, and that only he had the power to break them. –“We can stay inside it for a little longer, hoping to come up with a better plan. There’s no rush, you know?”   

“I know. But, there’s no point in delaying the inevitable. We’re going to have to battle all these creeps, if we’re to get to where Spectrum is. So, we better get started it.” -Ladybug declared in a low and serious voice.

“Alright… get ready, then.” -Carapace nodded towards her and the others, as he brandished his tonfas, which were now glowing, like they did whenever he used them to control the energy shields.

“I was born ready!” -Antelope smirked, ready to use his bat on the very first creature that tried to jump on him.

“Yeah, yeah, we know just how awesome you are.” -Dragonfly said in a sarcastic tone, while rolling her eyes.  

* * *

Beneath the streets, in Hawk Moth’s lair, the villain watched what was going on in Luna Park, using the pool in the lair as a giant screen, accompanied by Reptile and Madame Romani, who stood by his side, in silence. As he watched the battle unfolding, Hawk Moth could not help but to feel pride in what his creation had accomplished.  Spectrum was everything he had envisioned, when he wished to create an akuma with the spirit of Halloween imbued in it.   

“ _Spectrum’s powers are growing with each passing minute. Soon, this whole world will be plunged into eternal darkness, and with the death of those infernal kids, I will finally be able to rule this city, as well as the rest of the world, unopposed._ ” -Hawk Moth thought to himself.

And he was not the only one who was thinking that. Both Madame Romani and Reptile were also thinking the same thing. The two of them had been humiliated by the Miraculous Team countless times. Because of them, they suffered at the hands of Hawk Moth, who did not hesitate to punish them for their failures. They had suffered both physically and mentally, and the idea of seeing the heroes die felt like something otherworldly amazing.

“ _I wonder how much longer they will resist?_ ” -Madame Romani asked herself. –“ _They have been showing themselves to be quite resilient, but even they have their limits. It’s only a matter of time before they end up dead._ ” -she smirked evilly, at the thought of having her enemies dealt with, once and for all.

“ _After everything they put me through, those blasted kids will get what they deserve._ ” -Reptile smirked. –“ _They will pay for the things my master was forced to do to me, and they’re going to pay it with their own lives._ ”

Hawk Moth truly believed that this time, the Miraculous Team would meet their demise, and it was only a matter of time before that happened. The army of night creatures that were under his control would make sure of that. The heroes had been a thorn in his side for far too long, and it was about time that someone took care of them, permanently. In his mind, he was already thinking of ways to show the people of Paris it was futile to resist or to fight him; and the one that

“ _If Spectrum or one of those creatures, after killing them, happen to leave anything of their dead bodies behind, I will put them to good use, by displaying them, so anyone who has any ideas of trying to fight against me or my forces, will think twice before doing it._ ” -Hawk Moth thought to himself, as he already imagined the bruised, battered and bleeding dead bodies of Ladybug and the others, laying at his feet.    

* * *

Once Carapace made the shield disappear, the battle began. Usually, his shields disappeared without making a sound, or any kind of side effects; the just vanished into thin air. But while training, Carapace discovered a way to make them burst like a balloon, creating a small energy pulse that blew anything nearby a couple of feet away. Unfortunately, he could only do that trick once every 10 or so minutes. Still, he just needed to pull that stunt once, to provide his friends, and himself the necessary space to fight back. The creatures that were nearest to the shield when this disappeared, were propelled into the air, landing on top of the ones that were further back. Powering up, they charged against the creatures, showing no mercy or compassion towards them. After all, the creatures were not showing them any mercy or compassion, so they felt it was only fit for them to not show them either.

To help them managing the large number of creatures that were coming at them from all directions, Carapace created multiple shields to create a simple, yet efficient labyrinth, through which the closest monsters entered. Once inside, they would have no other option but to move forward, leading them to where some of the heroes would take them on.

Up in the sky, Rena Rouge, Queen Bee, Flamingo, Corbeau Noire and Dragonfly flew as fast as they could, towards Spectrum, who was expecting them. Determined to not let anything get out of his control, much less because of five girl superheroes, the villain quickly summoned a swarm of giant bats, which appeared out of the blue, and ordered them to strike them. Looking at them, the girls felt those were the ugliest bats they had ever seen. They did not look like regular bats, but rather bats concocted in a genetics lab. Just looking at them, made their skin crawl.

“Evasive manoeuvres, everyone!” -Rena Rouge yelled to the others. –“Scatter yourselves in order to confuse them!” -she ordered them, when she noticed Queen Bee did not change course, and kept heading straight towards the swarm of bats. –“What are you going, Chloé?!”

Ever since that started, Queen Bee had been secretly cursing herself on her bad luck. She loved Halloween, but she hated being scared, and worse yet, she hated being frightened. And she had had enough of that for one night. The most frightening thing she wanted to see right then, were corny Halloween costumes and decorations, and the faster Spectrum was defeated, the faster that would happen. So, she decided to head straight towards the villain, to confront him by herself, if needed.

“What do you think?! I’m going to give that creep a piece of my mind, right after I take down all of these creepy creatures!” -Queen Bee exclaimed, as she threw her trompo against one of the giant bats, hitting it on the head.

“You can’t take them all by yourself!” -Flamingo said, as she zigzagged in the air, trying to get rid of the bat that was trying to latch onto her. With the creature just inches from her, she was forced to execute a backflip to get rid of it.

“Sure, I can!” -Queen Bee said with a cocky voice, as she kicked another bat in mid-air. –“Just watch me!” -she exclaimed, as she dashed between two of the giant bats.

“ _She’s crazier than I am!_ ” -Dragonfly thought to herself.  

Though it looked like an impulsive and rather crazy attack, the bee heroine had a very well thought plan. Once she saw the swarm of bats showing up, she immediately knew what to do. She was going to use the same trick she had used to get rid of the vampires at the Louvre. The only problem with that plan was that she felt a little weaker than before, all because of the exhaustion. Still, she quickly wiped that thought of her head and focused on taking down the creatures that stood between her and Spectrum. Spinning her trompo on the palm of her hand, she swiftly threw it towards the bats, upon which, it created a small twister that began to increase in size, taking the nasty flying creatures by surprise. In an instant, they were sucked into the twister, which kept growing in front of everyone’s eyes. Upon seeing what was happening, the creatures tried to run, but only a handful of them managed to escape the twister, but only for a short time. Noticing what she was doing, Rena Rouge quickly used her flute-staff and summoned a few basic, but effective illusions, which forced the bats to either turn around or stop on their feet, being dragged by the wind produced by the twister, and thus, ending the threat.    

“Thanks for the backup!” -Queen Bee exclaimed to Rena Rouge. She was gasping for air. She felt exhausted after that attack, but nonetheless good about it.

“Don’t mention it!” -the fox heroine smiled at her, as she realized that though it was starting to be common practice for Chloé to thank people, when they helped her, it still felt weird to hear her say that, after years of putting up with her tantrums and her obnoxious personality. –“Are you girls alright?!” -she asked both Flamingo and Corbeau Noire, who were approaching her.

“Don’t worry, we’re okay.” -Corbeau Noire answered her.

“I’ll be honest. I thought I was the one who did crazy things around here.” -Dragonfly commented. –“That was some brave stunt you pulled back there!” -she said. Deep inside her, she wished she could’ve thought of it herself. –“Crazy… but really brave.”

“Thanks.” -Queen Bee said. –“But, maybe we should save the compliments for later.” She stated.

“She’s right. We got ourselves an Akuma to stop.” –“Rena Rouge declared, signalling the girls to follow her. Now that the giant bats had been taken care of, there was nothing between them and Spectrum.   

Having observed how the five heroines had managed to take down the giant bats he had summoned, Spectrum realized that he would have to step up his game, if he was to destroy them. He was not going to let them win, no matter what.

“These heroes are far better than I anticipated.” -Spectrum said, as he saw them coming straight towards him. –“ _But it doesn’t matter if they are stronger than I thought. I’ll just have to be more creative with how I’m going to kill them._ ” -he thought to himself, as he readied himself to take on Rena Rouge and the others, who were determined to stop him. A formidable aerial battle was about to take place up in the air.  

Back on the ground, the battle raged on. Not only zombies, living skeletons and werewolves attacked the heroes, but vampires, ghosts and other monsters joined in the party. On one side there were the heroes of Paris, on the other there were the supernatural creatures summoned by Spectrum. Using combined attacks, they tried their best to beat them. The enemies were just too many, and they kept coming.

“They just keep coming!” -Ladybug exclaimed, as she used her yo-yo like a shield, to take down a zombie that appeared in the middle of several living skeletons.

“True, but if it’s any consolation, you’re taking them down with such a grace, that it’s beautiful to see, milady.” -Chat Noir smirked, complimenting Ladybug on her fighting skills, as he used his staff to take down four living skeletons at once. With a quick swing, he sent their heads and torsos flying.

“Oh, you’re such a flatterer kitty-cat.” -Ladybug smiled, as she blushed lightly. Even when she was Ladybug, she would get a little embarrassed when the boy she loved praised her. –“But, this isn’t the time for that. You can praise and flatter me all you want later, okay?” -she smirked. She did not notice it, but Chat blushed lightly upon hearing that.   

“Don’t you guys worry; the cavalry has arrived!” -a voice claimed.

Like all good poker players, they had an ace up their sleeve, and theirs was named Panda Rouge. Just like Ladybug had said earlier, he came up with a way to use his powers to give them the upper hand on that fight. Using his drawing abilities, he quickly drew what could be described as a fusion between a tank and a battle mech, which kept firing energy balls against the enemies in front of it. With that machine on their side, the heroes felt like they had been given a chance to get their strength back, as it took down the enemies and opened a path for them towards the interior of the amusement park. The zombies and living skeletons dropped like flies, while the werewolves, thanks to their thick fur and different constitution, were a target that was harder to take down. But even they were defeated, after a few well-placed hits.   

“This is great!” -Carapace said, as he saw the machine doing what it had been created for. –“You think you could maybe draw one or two more of these things? They would certainly help us.” -he asked Panda Rouge, as he raised his tonfas and created a shield in front of the machine.   

“I wish I could, but I’m afraid my powers are a little weaker than I anticipated.” -Panda Rouge answered him. Just like all the others, he too was starting to feel exhausted, and that was reflected on the range of his powers. 

“Don’t worry about it! Besides, we wouldn’t want to make things too easy, now would we?” -Carapace joked about it. –“On your left!” -he warned Panda Rouge, who instantly turned his head, and the machine mimicked his moves, and did the same, firing over a werewolf.. –“Nice shot!”

“Thanks!” -Panda Rouge smiled, as he climbed onto his creation, to get a better view of his surroundings. –“Alright, let’s keep moving!”

“Keep moving forward! Form a circle around Panda’s machine and attack anything that you see in front of you!” -Ladybug ordered the rest of the heroes, as she swung her yo-yo in the air, trying to get rid of a ghost.

“Got it!” -Louve Grise exclaimed, as she used her fans and created a gust of icy wind, freezing several zombies, who then fell backwards, shattering into pieces.  

Still, like it had been happening, the enemies kept showing up from every direction. For every one of them that fell, another two took its place, making it look like that attack would never end. But, trying to be optimistic about the situation, they saw a way to gain the upper hand once more. Taking advantage of their surroundings, some of the heroes broke from the circle they were in and used the numerous rides to either imprison or tackle the enemies.

“How do you like that, huh?!” -Antelope said, as he used his speed to grab every single living skeleton e he could, and threw them into one of the various merry-go-rounds, just before he grabbed one of the ride’s poles, and made it spin out of control, sending the creatures’ bones flying all over the place. The hero could not help but to oat himself on the back for having such a crazy, yet effective idea. –“Alright, who’s next?! Come on, it’s on me!” -he said, as he saw a few more of the skeletons charging in his direction.  

Not too far from where Antelope was, Forest Doe and Grizzly Bear were both working together to take down a pack of werewolves. Using her invisibility to their advantage, Forest Doe used her bow as a makeshift bat to hit them on the eyes, and disorient them, just before kicking the creatures on the head, and grab them by the head. Holding the werewolf’s head with all her strengths, she threw it towards Grizzly Bear, who would knock it unconscious and into a derelict House of Doom, which they were using as a improvised cage.

“One more coming up!” -Forest Doe yelled at Grizzly, as she grabbed the creature by the head, and threw it towards her partner, who was waiting for it. Because she was invisible, he could not see her, so he had to rely on what was happening to the werewolves, to see when it was the time for him to make his move.  

“Thanks!” -Grizzly Bear said, as he used both his hands as a sledgehammer to knock out the werewolf Forest Doe had just send it flying towards him. –“At this rate, we’re going to fill this improvised cage in a jiffy!”

“Well, then we better find another cage, because these things… hold on, a second!” -Forest Doe exclaimed, as she was forced to take down a zombie that tried to attack her from behind. –“As I was saying, these werewolves just keep coming!”

Things were getting problematic. While they started strong, their attack began to lose momentum, because of the never-ending number of enemies, as well as exhaustion settled in. Having been fighting for hours, there was not a muscle in the heroes’ young bodies that did not felt sore or hurt. A part of them was telling them to push forward, while the other part was telling them just give up. Each one of them was fighting a double battle. The first was a fight against the monsters that kept coming out of nowhere to try and kill them. The second was a fight against themselves and their desire to stop fighting. Right then, they all just felt like choosing the easiest choice, and drop on their knees, if that meant they could take a break. But, something deep inside of them was telling them to not give up, and to keep fighting; that if they stopped, even if it was just for a moment, then, all would be lost.

Pushing himself, Chat Noir was using his staff to keep two werewolves at bay, when from behind him, shrouded in a cloud of smoke, a vampire grabbed him, digging his long and sharp claws into the feline hero’s upper torso, and pulling him backwards. Not giving him time to react, the evil creature tried to sink his teeth into Chat’s neck, only to be stopped by Ladybug who wrapped her yo-yo around Chat and pulled him towards her. The vampire, furious with that, tried to jump on them, when he was lassoed by Arachnid, who then yanked him, spinning him in the air, and threw him to Carapace, who quickly placed him inside an energy bubble.         

“No offense, but you got to stop saving me from tight jams, milady.” -Chat Noir panted, trying to catch his breath. He had caught quite the scare. If there was, Ladybug would’ve seen just how pale he was right then.   

“Why? Don’t tell me you have a tough guy reputation to keep up, kitty-cat?” -Ladybug playfully asked him.

“Well, I could say yes, but that would be a lie from my end.” -Chat answered her. –“It’s just that, I should be the one saving you from tight jams… a feline knight in shining armour.” -he said, making the scarlet heroine giggle.

“Well, it’s good to know that I… Incoming!” -Ladybug yelled, as she noticed threw herself in front of Chat Noir, pushing him.

For a moment, to Chat Noir, it felt like the whole world around him went into slow-motion, with everything slowing down almost to a halt, as he fell on his back, having been pushed out of the way of danger by Ladybug. Coming down on them was a ball of fire, which on impact crated a sizeable crater on the ground and incinerating everything and everyone that was near. Luckily, Ladybug’s quick thinking and reflexes saved both her life and Chat. Lying on top of the feline hero, Ladybug could not help but to blush lightly, when he smirked at her.

“We really got to stop meeting like this, milady.” -Chat told her in an amused tone, making her blush a little more, when she realized she was lying on top of him.

“Yes, we should.” -Ladybug smirked back at him, as she quickly got up and helped him get up as well, hoping he had not realized he had made her blush like a tomato.      

Turning around, they saw the smoke had cleared a little, allowing them to see what had descended from the skies in a ball of flames. To their surprise, it was their friends, Rena Rouge, Queen Bee, Dragonfly, Corbeau Noire and Flamingo; all of them lying on the floor in pretty bad shape. For a moment, they feared the worst. The girls seemed like they were not breathing. But then, Queen Bee moved her left arm a little, while grunting, with the others mimicking her. Fearing for their well-being, Ladybug and Chat Noir rushed to their side, with Arachnid and Carapace joining them a few seconds later. Kneeling beside them, they all hoped their friends were alright.

“Are you okay?” -Carapace asked Rena Rouge, as he quickly placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him. –“Did you break anything?”

“N-No… just my p-pride.” -Rena answered him. She felt like she had sprained her back, but, decided not to say anything. She did not want the turtle hero to worry.

“Are you okay? Can you move?” -Chat Noir asked Queen Bee, as he helped her sit.

“I-I… I guess so.” -Queen Bee whispered, as she tried to sit straight. –“I think I sprained my ankle:” -she said, as she pointed to her left ankle. You could see it was a little swollen. –“Ouch! It hurts!”

“Don’t move, okay? We’re going to fix it, and you’ll be good as new in a jiffy.” -Chat told her.

“You girls okay?” -Arachnid asked both Flamingo and Corbeau Noire, as the two girls tried to get up.

“I think so…” -Corbeau Noire said, as she tried to get back on her feet, only to feel her legs giving in.

“Juleka!” -Flamingo exclaimed.

“I’m okay, d-don’t worry.” -Corbeau Noire assured her. –“I j-just lost my balance, for a moment there.” -she told her.

“What happened?!” -Ladybug asked Dragonfly,

“T-That guy happened… ouch!” -Dragonfly howled in pain. –“I think I broke a couple of ribs…” -she gritted her teeth in pain. At that point, even breathing made her feel pain.

“Don’t move, okay?” -Ladybug ordered her. –“Carapace? If Rena’s alright, you think you could come and check her?” -she asked the turtle hero.

“In a minute!” -Carapace exclaimed, before turning his attention back to his girlfriend. –“You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m okay, don’t worry.” -Rena Rouge told him. –“Go check on, Alix. She needs more help than I do.” -she whispered to his ear.

“Okay, but I’ll be right back.” -Carapace winked at her.

Unfortunately, Carapace had not given two steps, when he was almost struck with a fireball, forcing him to throw himself into the ground. Other fireballs followed swiftly, targeting the heroes, and they all came from the same place as the first one. Spectrum had thrown them. From the distance he was, he would have not missed the target, and yet he did. He was just toying with them. But like every good prankster, he was starting to get tired of that silly game.

“I have to say that it has been fun to play with you all… but I’m afraid playtime is over.” -Spectrum said with a chilling voice, as he descended from the sky. From the look in his eyes, one could see that he was talking seriously. –“My master wants you dead, and your miraculous destroyed… and that’s just what he’ll get.”  


	24. Desperate Times

Tired of the Miraculous Team and their attempts to fight him and the creatures he had summoned to kill them, Spectrum decided it was high time they were nothing but a memory. He had hoped that sending them on a sort of wild goose chase, it would weaken them, so they would be easy pretty for the vampires, werewolves and other monsters. But, they had revealed themselves far more powerful than he had anticipated. Determined to end that battle, he decided to unleash his full power to fight Ladybug and her friends.

As the akuma stood in the air, with the wind blowing his garments, the whole place began to shake. At first, the heroes thought that that was either an earthquake caused by Spectrum, or by something much larger that he was summoning. After what they had seen that night, it would not surprise them, if the villain would make a giant underground monster from a B-movie, appear out of nowhere. Something like a giant larva with a menacing mouth or even a mutant mole with razor-sharp teeth and claws, went by the kids’ minds, or the very least, the ones who had a more vivid imagination like Ladybug, Panda Rouge and Forest Doe. But what happened, was something completely different. Nothing sprouted from the ground, like they were thinking. Instead, the buildings and rides all over the amusement park, began to shake violently, just before some kind of invisible force pulled them, piece by piece, towards Spectrum, upon which, it assembled themselves around him, into what could be described as a Halloweenish version of Burning Man. You could almost say that the whole thing served as a cocoon for the akuma. Little by little, piece by piece, it took less than a minute for it to assemble itself. Upon seeing the massive creature that stood in front of them, both heroes and creates of the night looked in awe at it.     

“Can I say it?” -Arachnid asked Antelope, who was by his side.

“Go ahead, go nuts. Be the nerd that you love being.” -Antelope answered him. He knew his best friend too well, and he knew that given what they were seeing in front of them, he would know some allusion to it.

“This… this remind of a scene I read on the _I Kill Giants_ comic book.” -Arachnid commented. –“I mean, it’s totally different from the comic book, but you get the idea.”  

“ _And there’s our nerd._ ” -Antelope thought to himself. –“I was actually thinking of Attack on Titan to be honest. That, or maybe a _Gundam_ … though to be fair, _Ultraman_ also crossed my mind.” -he told Arachnid.

“And then I’m the one who’s the nerd, huh?” -Arachnid smirked at his friend.

“Really?! A giant monster?!” -Grizzly Bear commented, as he looked at the creature and tried to process the fact that it was not there 60 seconds before.  

“A giant monster made of pieces of various amusement rides, you mean.” -Forest Doe added, as she noticed that all the monsters they were battling, had also stopped, as if stricken by the vision of the colossal creature.

“This is new.” -Rena Rouge said. –“We’ve battled a giant monster that was made of ink, but never one like this.”

Though a little shocked by what was in front of her, Ladybug knew she had to put those feelings of shock and awe behind her. She could only imagine what kind of powers Spectrum had in that form of his, but whatever those might be, she knew they were going to need all their strengths, and more importantly, all of their cunningness and resourcefulness to deal with it. Gulping, she tried to get wipe any bad or negative thoughts from her mind, while thinking of a strategy to take him down. This was going to be the very last round, and there were no chances for errors. She knew that in certain circumstances, attacking is the only mean of defense, especially when faced with such a large opponent. But before a plan, or even a shred of a plan could form in her mind, the colossal creature began to move towards them. With its left foot up in the air, it tried to stomp them into jelly. Luckily, the heroes that were in its way were able to escape in the nick of time. But, some of the werewolves, living skeletons, zombies and other creatures of the night were not so lucky, and were now nothing but a pulp of various disgusting colours. As for the rest of the creatures, they scattered around the place, like wild animals, each running in a different direction. The once massive incursion of night creatures that had assembled there, was now reduced to a few dozen; though the heroes predicted they would come back.

“I think it’s safe to say that Spectrum doesn’t care if he stomps us or his own minions!” –Rena Rouge declared, as she looked at behemoth the villain had created, using his powers.

“ _We need a new strategy, but with our fliers in no condition to fight, and the rest of us already running on fumes, whatever we do, it has to be something that will put an end to this freak._ ” -Ladybug thought to herself. Trying to clear her mind, she decided there was only one way out of that mess. –“Retreat!”

“Retreat?!” -Chat Noir asked her, shocked. –“We can take this guy down!” -he said. Right then, he did not know if all that bravado was him trying to pretend he was not exhausted, or just trying to look brave in front of Ladybug.

“Not like this! Everyone, retreat. The ones who can still walk, help those who can’t!” -Ladybug ordered. She did not like the idea of retreating, but it was the safest thing to do then. –“Fall back, now!”   

But before they could do it, Spectrum’s giant body moved its left arm, shooting several tendrils from it, targeting the heroes. Although they looked like tendrils from a plant, they moved with a mind of its own, and were both slimy and viscous to the touch, like the arms of a squid or an octopus. And they were as fast as lightning, quickly grabbing the heroes, either by the legs or feet, or grabbing them by the torso. Some of them were caught completely out of guard, not expecting that kind of attack, and were quickly dragged towards the interior of the giant monster. Others, like Ladybug and Grizzly Bear still tried to fight the viscous tendrils, but it was useless. They were quickly defeated and dragged by the tendrils. Chat, upon seeing Ladybug being grabbed by her right foot, still tried to catch her, by stretching his left arm onto her. Unfortunately, he was not fast enough and could only see her and the rest of his friends disappearing in front of his eyes.

Other than Chat, the only other heroes who were able to evade Spectrum’s tendrils were his best friend Carapace, and Panda Rouge, who used his drawing skills to confuse the villain, by drawing a couple of copies of himself, giving him enough time to find some cover. Looking for a place to hide, the three of them found refuge in a hollow of a fallen tree that was ripped from the ground by Spectrum. Panting, the three heroes were still trying to grasp what had happened a few moments prior.

“Guess it’s just the three of us.” -Chat Noir said, as he tried to catch his breath.

“Yeah… three, against one giant Halloween monster.” –Carapace declared, as his mind tried to catch up with had happened a couple of seconds earlier.

“The odds are not in our favour, guys.” -Panda told them. Just like Carapace and Chat Noir, he was still trying to grasp what had happened. Their friends had been sucked into the entrails of the giant monstrosity that was now destroying everything in its path, while searching for them.  

“Tell me about it. We need to get them out of that thing.” -Carapace said. He was still thinking about the words Rena Rouge had told him, just before she was dragged inside the giant creature. That he should not worry about her, and that he should help Queen Bee, who was injured… If he had ignored that request from her, maybe he could have prevented her from being grabbed by Spectrum. He knew that his thought was quite selfish, but he just could not help it. She was his girlfriend, and he worried about her.

“Well… I know that I’m supposed to be the leader, when Marinette is out of the picture, like right now, but… I don’t know how we are going to defeat that thing and get them all out.” -Chat Noir declared, as he looked at his friends, who had the same puzzled look on their faces. –“I just don’t… whoa! Get down, get down!” -he exclaimed, as he himself bowed his head, trying to get out of Spectrum’s sight. –“Right now, I suggest that we put a good distance between us and this behemoth.”

“Good idea. Lead the way.” -Panda Rouge agreed, as he and Carapace followed the feline hero.  

Spectrum had lost them and was now looking for them. Though he was now larger and faster than before, his size also presented itself as a disadvantage in that case. Still, the villain knew that all he had to do was to stomp everything he saw, that eventually he would find the remaining heroes, forcing them out of hiding. On top of that, the werewolves and other creatures of the night that he had not killed, and that were still running amok, would sooner or later find them.

“You can run, but you cannot hide forever, heroes!” -Spectrum’s voice boomed, echoing through the night, which had become darker than before for the three heroes. –“I will find you and catch you, sooner or later.” -he warned, while letting out a diabolical laugh.

“ _Excellent work, Spectrum_ ” -Hawk Moth’s voice echoed inside Spectrum’s head. Once again, the villain used his telepathic link with his creation to talk to him. He had been watching the whole thing from his lair, accompanied by his two underlings, and felt that he had to tell Spectrum what he thought about it. -“ _You managed to capture most of the Miraculous Team._ ”

“ _Thank you, master._ ” -Spectrum thanked his creator for such appraisal.

“ _Then, why are they still alive?!!! What are you waiting for?! Kill them and destroy their miraculouses!!!_ ” -he ordered his akuma, with a cold, uncaring voice. It was almost amazing, for the lack of better word, the way the emotions in Hawk Moth’s voice changed so quickly.   

“ _No._ ” -Spectrum declared, which shocked not only Hawk Moth, but also Madame Romani and Reptile. But before he could say another word, Spectrum spoke to him. –“ _They will die, and you’ll have what’s left of their miraculouses, once I finish them, master. But not yet. There are three of them missing. I wish to kill them all, at the same time, if possible. It will be a glorious thing to see, I promise you. Just give me a little bit more time to catch them. You have my word, when I say that you won’t regret such decision._ ”

Hawk Moth did not like when one of his creations disobeyed him, and he was known for punishing those who did such a thing quite harshly. But usually, none of them had just finished capturing most of his enemies. Feeling amused, the villain decided that to grant Spectrum his wish.

“ _Very well. But remember, as soon as you capture them, kill them immediately._ ” -Hawk Moth ordered him.

“ _I will, master. Believe me, you have my word._ ” -Spectrum said, as he ended the telepathic conversation.

On the ground, Chat Noir, Carapace and Panda Rouge had managed to put a considerable distance, between them and Spectrum. By doing this, they hoped to find a safe and peaceful place, where they could think of a plan to take him down. But, that was not going to happen. They had just passed what had been the amusement’s park grating, when a horde of zombies came out of nowhere and attacked them. It was clear that they were no longer impressed, or shocked by Spectrum’s change, and were starting to come back to the place where they were.   

“Just what we needed…” –Chat Noir commented, upon seeing the ghoulish creatures.

“Don’t worry, I got just the thing for them!” -Carapace said, as he used his tonfas to create a giant energy containment bubble around the zombies. He had to put an extra effort in that construct, as he felt himself getting weaker by the minute.  –“T-here. That should hold them.”

“I hope you still have enough strength in you to create a couple more of those bubbles…” -Chat Noir told him. –“Because we’re definitely going to need them.” -he said, as another horde of zombies appeared. The three heroes did not understand how that was possible. But given their situation, that was the least of their worries.

The creatures kept moving in their direction, forcing them to fight them back. They just wanted to give them the slip and find a place where they could think for a bit, on what to do next. But, the zombies were determined on not letting them do that, as they strengthened their attack. In a move dictated more by instinct, than by rational thinking, the feline hero decided there was only one thing to do.

“Put a shield over us!” –Chat ordered him.

“Leave that to me! Save your strength, because something tells me, that you’re going to need them.” -Panda Rouge said, as he began to draw. Just like his friends, he was starting to feel weaker by the minute. In a matter of seconds, he drew a cage and placed himself, Chat and Carapace in it. The whole cage looked like one of the cages used by divers to film sharks in the wild. And given their current situation, perhaps sharks would have been a slightly less dangerous company, when compared to those brain and flesh-eating creatures.

“Uh… don’t take this the wrong way, but, instead of putting us into a cage, you should have put them all in a cage.” -Carapace told Panda Rouge.

“They’re too many of them, and they’re making too much noise.” -Chat Noir said. –“At this rate, their infernal racket is going to tell that guy where we are!” -he exclaimed, as he watched one of the zombies literally pushing his hand against the cage’s net, in a desperate attempt to catch the heroes. Upon seeing it, the first thing image that came to Chat’s mind, was of minced meat being made in a grinder

“Not going to… already did!” -Carapace exclaimed, as he pointed to the colossal behemoth, who was quickly approaching them. –“We’ve got to get out here, bro!” -he said, as Spectrum approached them. At its current pace, he would be upon them in a matter of seconds.

“Draw us a way out of here!” -Chat ordered Panda Rouge.

“I need a little time to recharge… I’m running on fumes here.” -Panda Rouge declared, as he fell on his knees, exhausted. Drawing that cage had taken its toll. He felt he was going to need at least five minutes, before he could use his powers again.

 “We need a plan, bro!” -Carapace said, as he placed a shield around them. That way, Spectrum would not be able to hurt them, when he got them… or, at least he thought so. 

“I’m thinking, I’m thinking!” -Chat Noir exclaimed. –“ _Come on, Adrien, you can come up with a plan, right? I mean, it shouldn’t be that hard to come up with a simple plan._ ” -he thought to himself. –“ _How do we defeat a guy this size?! If we had Godzilla, or Mothra, or King Kong, or even Clover, on our side, they could take this guy down with one swift punch… but I guess that’s out of the question._ ”  

As these thoughts ran through Chat’s brain, Spectrum could be seen and heard approaching them. Every time one of his giant feet touched the ground, it sent a message to those nearby… he was coming.

“Yes, my brothers and sisters! Excellent job!” -Spectrum exclaimed with his booming voice, as he approached the site where the heroes had been cornered.

Once arriving to where the cage created by Panda Rouge stood, all the zombies cased their attack and opened a path to the cage. Kneeling on the ground, Spectrum’s right hand reached for the cage, grabbing it. As it did, its clawed fingers scraped against the cage’s surface. Inside the cage, the heroes watched as Spectrum held them up in the air.

“And now, let’s see what’s inside, shall we?” – Spectrum laughed evilly, as he readied himself to rip the top of the cage.

“ _Why is it that suddenly I feel like a sardine in a can?_ ” -Chat Noir thought to himself. –“He can’t get to us inside this bubble, right?”

“I don’t think so… but I for one, don’t want to find out.” -Carapace said, as he saw Spectrum rip the top of the cage. The only thing separating them from same fate as their friends was the energy shield the turtle hero had placed around them, and they all asked themselves for how long that would be truth.

While on the outside, Chat, Carapace and Panda tried to find a way of their predicament, inside Spectrum’s new body, the heroes that had been captured, had been dragged by the tendrils that captured them and each, taken to a different section of the creature’s body, after which, they were all held by their wrists and ankles, in the most claustrophobic environment one could imagine. And, the more they fought to set free, the harder it was for them to move. Some of them felt, and even heard, their bones breaking, making them scream in agony. Using what was left of their strength, they tried to break free, but they failed to do so. The pain they were in was so great, that some of them lost consciousness. But some of them, fought to stay awake, even if that meant going through all that pain. One of the heroes who remained conscious was the team’s leader, Ladybug. The pain she was in was almost indescribable. She knew it was only a matter of time before the pain she was in would get the best of her, and she fainted. Still, taking deep breaths, she tried to ignore it, while still processing what had happened, and more importantly, what they would do next.   

“ _Great job, M-Marinette… You really are in a p-pickle now._ ” -Ladybug thought to herself. She could feel that her left leg was broken, just above her ankle. Her breath was becoming more and more intense, as she tried to focus on filling her lungs with air, while trying not to think about the pain she felt, every time she inhaled. She was not sure of it, but she guessed the reason that was happening, was because she might have a couple of broken ribs. –“ _I… I got to get out of h-here, before I faint… the others need me._ ” -she thought.

She tried to move her left arm but was unable to do it. To make matters worse, she could feel herself being crushed from all sides. And as if things were not bad already, she could hardly see an inch in front of her. The only thing she could see were shades. Still, she tried to focus on the problem at hand, which was finding a way to set herself free. Ladybug could feel she was on the last of her strength. She tried to move, or attempt to get out of the tight jam Spectrum had placed her in. Grinding her teeth, she tried to ignore the pains that were warning her brain to stop moving and push her body forward. After a couple of more tries, from which the only thing she got were even more muscle aches, and a possible dislocated left shoulder, she, the most optimistic of people, finally gave in to the despair.  

“It’s no use… I can’t m-move.” -Ladybug said, as she burst into tears. She did not know if those were tears caused by all the pain she was in, or if they were tears of frustration. But it did not matter, because whether they were from pain or frustration, they kept rolling down her face, while sobbing uncontrollably. Ever since she had gotten her miraculous, she had always been able to get out of any kind of tight situation. But right then, being trapped like that, she felt a sort of hopelessness taking over her mind and her spirit. Without realizing, her thoughts went to her parents and little Manon, and how she would never see them again. –“ _I’m s-sorry… Mom… Dad… Manon… I-I’m sorry, b-but I guess I won’t be going home…_ ” -she kept sobbing, as hopelessness took her over. It seemed like that was the end of the line for the scarlet heroine. –“ _I’ll never get to see you again… I’ll never be able to tell Adrien how much I love him… my friends are going to die here, and there’s nothing I can do about it…_ ”

 As Ladybug’s spirit sank into despair, not far from her, another hero was also struggling to set himself free. Antilope knew he was in a tight jam. After being sucked into the entrails of the Halloweenish behemoth, he felt like he was inside a pinball machine, with his body being used a ball. It was not after several minutes, that tendrils that had pulled them, finally stopped and wrapped themselves around his legs, almost to the point of cutting the blood circulation. Unlike what happened with most of the others, Antilope ended up somewhere inside Spectrum’s giant body, where he was not being crushed against something. Still, that did not mean he was okay with it. Besides having trouble breathing, he could not see much in front of him. The only good thing about it was that he could move freely was his left arm, and right then, he was using it to swing his bat, hoping to smash or crush his way out of that place. But, to his great misfortune, every time he managed to break something, it would just grow back.

“Oh, come on!!!!” -Antelope yelled in exasperation. –“When I get out of here, I’m going to use your head as a bowling ball or a football, you hear me, Spectrum?!” -he yelled once again.     

Fuelled by rage, which allowed him to temporarily ignore the pains he had, Antelope took a deep breath and resumed his attack against everything that was around him. Splinters flied every time he hit something.

“If you think I’m going to stop… then… then you’re in for a surprise, you Jack Skellington wannabe!!!” -Antelope yelled from the top of his lungs.

He went on for what looked like forever, and only stopped, when the lack of air in his lungs prevented him from moving further. His arms were on the last of their strength. Huffing and puffing, he finally gave up. If there was a chance of hi getting out of there, he was now too tired to find out.

“ _G-Guess… I’m going to need a little help to get out of here._ ” -Antelope thought to himself, as he realized that he alone would not be able to get out of there, while trying to get his breath back. –“ _H-Hey?!_ _What was that?!_ ” -he asked himself, after hearing a familiar sound. He knew that he had heard it before, but right then, he could not remember where.


	25. The Stroke of Midnight

The sound that Antelope heard was quite familiar. He had heard it, maybe a few thousand times. In fact, all the heroes had heard it before. It was a sound that could be described as the sound of acid melting through a steel door, combined with what they imagined would be the sound of metal rusting at an incredible speed would look like. It was the sound of Chat Noir’s special attack, which he had named as “Cataclysm”, and right then, it was music to anyone’s ears.

“ _L-Looks like Chat is on the case._ ” -Antelope thought to himself.

He had just finished that thought, when in front of his eyes, he saw a hole forming at an incredible speed. In a matter of seconds, his face was caressed by the cool, almost chilling night breeze, and he could see what was going on. Chat Noir was jumping around the place, while using his special attack on Spectrum’s giant body.

(Flashback)

_In a desperate attempt to take down Spectrum, Chat Noir’s brain raced against time to find a way to save his friends and defeat that akuma, so they could call it a night. Every idea that went through his mind seemed either not good enough, or too complicated. The villain was trying to break the energy shield they were in, and though he had not been able to break it, he was afraid Carapace’s magic would not be powerful enough to prevent that from happening. Time was running out. And then, it hit him. He figured that if they could not fight the akuma in its current form, then there was only one thing to do._

_“What are you saying?” -Carapace asked him, as he tried not to lose his focus on the task of keeping the energy shield up._

_“I’m saying that inside that thing is Spectrum… the real Spectrum. This giant behemoth is like an egg; it’s a shell that’s protecting its content.” -Chat Noir told him. –“But if we break the shell…”_

_“I think I know where you’re going.” -Carapace said. –“But, how do you plan on breaking this shell?” -he asked the feline hero, using the same metaphor he had before._

_“With this.” -Chat Noir snapped his fingers, producing a small Cataclysm._

_“Your special attack?” -Carapace asked him, as he imagined what his friend was going to do. He knew that his attack was quite powerful, and they had seen him taking down obstacles and even enemies, by reducing them to nothing. But, he wondered, first, if Chat’s attack would affect Spectrum as he believed it would, and second, if he still had enough juice in him to attempt such an attack._

_“Well, yeah… but, I might need a little upgrade in order for it to work.” -Chat Noir said, as he turned his attention to Panda Rouge. –“I know you’re exhausted… probably even more than any of us. But please, I need you to…”_

_“You need me to use my powers once again.” -Panda Rouge sighed. Looking at him, you could easily see that he was exhausted. –“No worries…” -he forced a smile. –“What do you need?”_

_“Well… I don’t know exactly.” -Chat Noir shrugged his shoulders. He knew what to do, but he had no idea how he was going to do it. –“Maybe turn me into a giant, or draw me a fighting robot?”_

_“I think I got something a little better.” -Panda Rouge said. –“Let’s just hope I have enough juice to pull this one out.” -he said, as he began to draw. Every second counted._

(End of Flashback)

Though he had not given Chat Noir a giant fighting robot, or turned him into a giant, Panda Rouge had given him something the feline hero could not say would not do the same thing. He had used the last of his strength to give him what could be described as robotic prosthetics for his hands and feet that amplified his special attack, allowing him to go as far as fire Cataclysms against far away targets. Ordering Carapace to open the shield just enough for him to go outside, the turtle hero did as he was told. Just before he went out to teach Spectrum a lesson, he turned around and thanked Panda for the little upgrade, as the redhead gave him a thumbs up.

“ _Let’s do this!_ ” -Chat Noir thought to himself.

Noticing Chat Noir was out of the energy shield, Spectrum could not help but to smile. It was too good of an opportunity to waste. Thinking that he was going to get another Miraculous for his master, Spectrum quickly stopped trying to smash the energy shield, and proceeded to try and grab Chat Noir, by smashing him. The behemoth’s giant left hand had not yet descended on the hero, when he fired an attack against it, hitting it in two of its fingers. These rusted in a few seconds, falling off and making the akuma roar in agony.

“Bullseye!” -Chat Noir exclaimed.

“If you think you can defeat me, you are sorely mistaken, little kitten!” -Spectrum’s voice boomed over the place, enraged at what had happened. –“I’m going to rip that silly miraculous of yours, after I skin you alive!”

“Feel free to try, mister!” -Chat Noir challenged the akuma, as a grin formed on his face. –“Just remember, that this kitty cat has sharp claws!” -he kept smirking, as he fired another attack; this time hitting the behemoth in his left eye.

Roaring in pain, Spectrum tried to squish Chat Noir, who kept attacking him. Though he had been feeling exhausted, for some reason, attacking Spectrum had given him a rush of adrenaline he needed. And he was not going to waste it. He knew that if he wanted to get his friends back and save the say, he would have to take him down alone. Strike after strike, he tried to weaken the enemy, while also looking for where he could be hiding inside that giant contraption.

“ _Come on, where are you?! You’ve got to be somewhere inside that thing!_ ” -Chat Noir thought, as he used his staff to jump into the air, targeting the left shoulder. He believed the place where Spectrum would be hiding was the head, and he was on his way to see if he was right about it.

Looking at their friend, both Panda Rouge and Carapace were cheering for Chat, hoping he would come out victorious. At the same time, inside Spectrum’s giant body, the heroes that were still conscient could tell something was happening. They could not see it, but they could feel it. Every time one of Chat’s attacks hit Spectrum, they felt it and heard it.

“That sounds like Chat Noir’s attack!” -Ladybug said. –“ _If he’s still out there, then… then let’s hope he can help us and defeat this creature Please, Adrien, be careful._ ” -she thought to herself, as her heart filled with hope, while also trying not to think about her injuries, which were causing her great pain.

And she was not the only one who recognized the sound. A little below, lodged somewhere the behemoth’s left thigh, a certain blonde heroine, who was on the last of her strength, also recognized it. That unmistakable sound gave her the strength to stay awake, and to ignore the pain coming from her right shoulder. She was not sure of it, but she suspected she had broken it, when she was dragged by the tendrils that were now holding her inside that monstrosity of a body.  

“ _T-That was the s-sound of a Cataclysm…_ ” -Flamingo thought to herself.

Continuingly shooting against Spectrum, Chat Noir was able to induce a significant amount of damage to the villain. Soon, his giant body was covered with several holes, and one of his hands was beyond salvation, not to mention his left leg was just a couple of hits from being in the same situation. He reached the head and fired a powerful blast against it. Once the attack hit it, the right side of the head rusted in mere seconds and disintegrated in front of his eyes. Unfortunately, there was nothing inside. Spectrum was not hiding in the head, like he had thought.

“ _Dang it! He’s not in there!_ ” -Chat Noir cursed his luck.

“You can’t stop me like that, little kitten!” -Spectrum roared, as several tendrils burst from under his giant body’s skin, targeting Chat. –“But feel free to exhaust yourself trying it!” -he scorned, while letting out an evil laugh. .

But, what started as a sort of lightning strike, was quickly reduced to a desperate attempt of survival. The amount of damage inflicted upon Spectrum was quite significant, but it was still insufficient to make him stop. With his lungs burning, the feline hero knew he was running out of time.   

“G-Getting weaker… I got to find that guy and fast…” -Chat Noir gasped, trying to gain back his breath, while also slowing down his heart. He was starting to feel the adrenaline in his veins dissipating, and knew that soon, the tiredness would come back, and he would be too exhausted to move, turning him into a sitting duck. –“ _Well, if you aren’t hiding in this thing’s head, then, I hope you’re hiding in its chest… and please, be there, because I don’t know how much longer I can keep up with this._ ” -he thought to himself.

Each time he was hit, Spectrum doubled his efforts to try and capture Chat Noir. He was sure that he would be able to handle one single hero, before going after Carapace and Panda Rouge, who remained still inside the energy shield. But what happened next, happened so fast, that he did not even had time to react. He had just taken his off Chat for a second, to gaze upon the other two heroes, when Chat used his staff to elevate himself above the behemoth’s head, and then jumped into the air. Propelling himself upward, once he felt he was high enough, he shot himself downward, targeting the behemoth’s chest. Just like before, he hypothesized that if Spectrum was not hiding in the head, he was most likely hidden in another spot, and that spot was the chest. As he propelled himself, he wished with all his strength that he was right about it this time, otherwise, he and the others would be done for.

“If this doesn’t work, I’m a dead cat.” -Chat Noir thought out loud.

Trying to take that thought from his mind, he held his breath and squinted his eyes, as he approached the target. And he was not the only one who held his breath. Both Carapace and Panda Rouge also held their breath in anticipation after understanding what the feline hero was up to.

“ _Go get him, Adrien._ ” -both Carapace and Panda Rouge thought to themselves.

Before Spectrum could react, Chat focused all his remaining strength into one final Cataclysm, and fired it against the creature’s abdomen, where Spectrum was hiding. And just like it had happened before, as soon as the attack hit the abdomen, the rust caused by the Cataclysm spread like wildfire, opening a hole, large enough for him to see Spectrum. The first thing he noted was that he had several tubes attached to his body. He figured that those tubes were how he managed to control his giant body from that place, and if so, he would have to rip them from his body. Surprised by that attack, the villain did not have the time to react properly. The next thing he knew, Chat Noir was in front of him.

“Got you!” -Chat Noir exclaimed, as he dug his claws into Spectrum, and he had no plans to let go off him.   

“Let go of me!” -Spectrum roared, as Chat Noir dug his claws deeper into him, pushing him into the back of that makeshift chamber.  

“Sorry, not going to happen, buddy!” –Chat kept smirking, as he punched Spectrum in the face.

“I said… let go of me!!!!” -Spectrum roared, as he tried to get rid of the feline hero.  

As he fought the akuma, Chat had the distinct impression that everything around them was moving in slow motion. He knew this was not possible, but it was what it felt like. Still, ignoring it, he made sure to land every single punch, kick and attack on Spectrum. He had one shot to take him down, and he was going to take it. They had taken down other akumas before, but this one was by far, the most powerful one yet. Still, his reign was about to end. As far as Chat was concerned, this was the end of the line for Spectrum. He managed to rip some of the tubes that were attached to the villain’s body, which spurted some greenish goo all over the place.

“How about we take this outside, bonehead?” -Chat Noir exclaimed, as he grabbed one of the tubes and threw it at Spectrum’s face, blinding for a moment. –“Cataclysm!”

Firing the attack, and then throwing himself over Spectrum, Chat Noir pushed him through the wall. Seeing themselves in the air, Spectrum tried to gain the upper hand by flying, but once more, Chat was not going to let go off him. Digging his left claw on him, he used the other to snatch Spectrum’s red globe and smash it on the villain’s face, hearing it crack. From inside it, a thick fog wrapped them both, but even that was not enough for Chat to let go of him.  

“I’m going to break that ugly mug of yours, buster!” -Chat Noir said, as he kept punching him as hard as his fists allowed him.

At the same time, the giant body Spectrum had built, using parts from the haunted Luna Park, and where he had trapped most of the Miraculous Team, began to slowly shake, only to start breaking apart like a house of cards. Without Spectrum controlling it, it seemed like it had lost its magic. This proved to be both a good thing, as well as a bad thing. The good thing about it was that as the whole thing came apart, the heroes that had been dragged and trapped inside it, were now free. The bad thing was that with all of them either passed out or too exhausted to even move a muscle, it was up to Carapace to save the day. Signalling Panda Rouge that he was going to make the energy shield disappear, so he could focus on catching the others, Panda nodded his head.

“Don’t hesitate. Do it.” -Panda told him

Doing just that, the energy shield disappeared, and they saw themselves falling. But, not for too long, as Carapace used his tonfas to create smaller separate energy bubbles around them, while also doing the same for the heroes he saw falling.

“ _Got to catch them all! I can’t let any of them fall! I got to catch them all!_ ” -Carapace told himself. Only later did he realize that without wanting, he had quoted the original Pokémon catchphrase.

He quickly spotted Queen Bee, Dragonfly and Grizzly Bear coming down fast, and made energy bubbles around them. Next, he spotted Forest Doe, Antilope, Flamingo, Arachnid and Louve Grise. As he encapsulated them, he kept his eyes open for the three remaining members of the team, Corbeau Noire, Ladybug and Rena Rouge.

“ _Where are they?! Where are they?!!!_ ” -Carapace thought. –“ _Don’t tell me I didn’t see them and they’re getting squashed under the falling debris?!_ ” -he said to himself, already thinking about the worst case scenario.    

He was beginning to panic, when he saw Ladybug falling, followed by Corbeau Noire, both unconscious. Not wasting a second, he placed them into energy bubbles, while still looking for Rena Rouge. Time seemed to slow down, as his eyes roamed the sky, looking for the fox heroine. Not spotting her, was making him anxious. When the behemoth’s right arm began disintegrating, he finally saw his girlfriend, unconscious, falling, and the anxiety in his chest was replaced with a sense of relieve.

“ _Don’t worry, Alya, I got you, girl!_ ” -Carapace thought to himself, as he summoned another energy bubble, trapping her inside, mere moments before she hit the ground.

While Spectrum’s giant body disintegrated into several chunks, some of them quite large, falling on top of the heroes, who were protected by Carapace’s energy bubbles, as well as the supernatural creatures that were still roaming around, crushing them, Spectrum himself was being used as a punching bag by Chat Noir, who was wondering where he’d gotten that extra boost of energy, to deal with that akuma. They had been battling on the ground, just the two of them, for maybe twenty seconds, but it felt like they had been doing that for days.

“If you think that I, Spectrum, am going to let you win, you are sorrowfully mistaken!” -Spectrum growled in a theatrical way. Chat Noir had inflicted a pretty good deal of damage on the villain’s body, especially on its head, which was now cracked in several points.

“Sorry, man, but the jig is up.” -Chat Noir smirked, as he panted heavily. He knew he only had to hit the guy once more on the head to shatter it, so he focused on doing just that. –“It was fun, but I think Paris, as well as us, had enough Halloween for one night. So, what do you say we call it a night?” -he joked about it, mocking him.

“Shut up! Halloween will go on forever, and I will see to it, when I deliver your dead body, and your friends to my master!” -Spectrum growled. The once chivalrous akuma now looked and behaved more like a savage creature, as he charged on Chat, determined to kill him.  

Taking advantage of Spectrum’s temporary insanity, Chat used his staff to defend himself from his attack, and then performing a summersault in the air, landing on top of the villain. Dropping on his knees, the next thing Spectrum felt was Chat’s Cataclysm-powered fist smashing against his face. The sound of broken bones echoed in the air, as his head shattered into dozens of pieces, followed by a powerful explosion, which propelled Chat Noir in the air. Caught off guard, the feline was not expecting for the akuma to blow up, and as such, was forced to make use of his acrobatic prowess to land on his feet.

“ _Well, they say cats always land on their feet… though, this time I think I just had luck._ ” -Chat Noir thought to himself, as he looked over his shoulder, and noticed that where Spectrum stood a moment before he exploded, there was a crater, where a black butterfly was flapping its wings. Looking at it, the feline hero knew just what to do. -“No more evil-doings for you, you stupid Akuma butterfly!” -he said, as he extended his staff. –“I relinquish you from evil!”

Saying that, the magic in his staff destroyed the akuma butterfly. With that taken care of, he focused on materializing the Ampulla Amulet to restore the city to its usual look; he just hoped it was powerful enough to revert everything Spectrum had done to the city. Usually, it was Ladybug who did that, but, just like everyone else on the team, he had also trained on using it, in case of an emergency. A powerful magical wave swept the area, making every supernatural creature disappear, as it continued to spread out in every direction, restoring Paris to its usual look. It turned the ruined amusement park they were in, into a regular park, filled with trees and beautiful green grass, while doing the same for the rest of the city. Those who had been turned into stone by a gorgon, or caught in the web of a giant spider, were freed, celebrating the heroes’ victory. Once more, it was safe to walk in the streets. Holding the amulet in his left hand, he could not help but to smile, on a work well done, just before the last of his strength abandoned him, making him drop on his knees, exhausted. He was so exhausted that even if he wanted to, his muscles would not obey his brain. But, he did not mind. He had done it; he had defeated the akuma, saved his friends and restored the city back to normal. That was all that mattered. Just before passing out, at the distance, he heard the stroke of midnight, announcing the beginning of a new day.

* * *

“Nooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!” -Hawk Moth’s screamed from top of his lungs, his enraged voice echoing through the walls of his hideout.

Hawk Moth was so certain Spectrum would be able to destroy the Miraculous Team, that he did not even ponder the possibility of him failing. So, when he saw what happened to what he had dubbed as his most powerful and diabolical creation ever, he could not believe his own eyes. And while the lair had been filled with a sentiment close to happiness, now it was filled with a sentiment that was the polar opposite of it. Hawk Moth was furious, and as he used his cane to blast everything that surrounded him, both Madame Romani and Reptile knew that he was not going to stop there. He was going to destroy pretty much everything there was around, to release his anger. Fleeing from their master’s attacks, they each went into a separate direction, looking for a place to hide.  

“ _He’s gone mad!_ ” -Madame Romani thought to herself, as she was nearly vaporized.

“ _Maybe it’s best if we leave him alone… I don’t feel like being blasted into Kingdom Come tonight!_ ” -Reptile thought to himself, as he literally slithered away.

This went on for several minutes, until finally Hawk Moth stopped. Still, the anger inside him had not subsided. In fact, it kept growing, running through his veins like a damn poison, not allowing him to calm down. He had not felt like that in centuries. He and his plans had been thwarted countless times before, over his countless reincarnations. But never had he been that close to eliminate the miraculous heroes, once and for all.  The closest he had been was 200 years before, when all the heroes thwarted his rise to power. And once again, History was repeating itself.    

“I can’t believe Spectrum failed me!!!” -Hawk Moth growled. –“I was this close to defeat those kids… and once more, they managed to get away with it.” -he muttered to himself.

He was mad at everything right then, including himself for trusting Spectrum’s inflated ego. Had he forced him to kill all the heroes he had caught; the world would be eleven heroes shorter than before. But, instead, all the heroes had survived… they were most likely broken and bruised, but they were alive. And it was all because he trusted too much in one of his creations… that, and Chat Noir’s resilience.

“Curse that Chat Noir…” -Hawk Moth screamed, more furious than ever. –“ _You and your friends might have won this time, but there is always next time, and believe me when I say that I will not make the same mistake again._ ” -he thought to himself. –“Next time we meet, I’ll make sure it will be the last time.”

* * *

“Adrien?! Adrien, wake up! Please, wake up!”

The feline hero did not know how long it had been, since he passed out, after fighting and defeating Spectrum. The only thing he knew, was that that voice, to whomever it belonged to, had awakened him. Sill groggy, he tried to open his eyes, to see who was calling him, but he did not even have the strength to do such a thing. So, instead, he focused on the voice, and while trying to focus on opening his eyes, attempted to recognize who was calling him out.      

“Dude! Wake up!” -the voice kept calling him.

At first, he thought it was a male voice. But after listening to it with a little more attention, he knew it was a female voice; a voice he knew. It was Alix’s voice, who was calling his name.

“Adrien! Come on, wake up! Don’t scare us like that!” -Dragonfly exclaimed as she placed her hand on the blond’s chest and shook him gently. She did not know if he had any broken bones and did not want to risk it.  

Finally gathering enough strength, he managed to open his eyes, and see his friend looking at him. As for Dragonfly, she sighed out of relief. For a moment, she thought Chat was dead.

“H-H-Hey…” -Chat Noir said with a weakened voice.

“Hey, there! You scared the hell out of us!” -Dragonfly smiled, as she turned her head and looked over her shoulder. –“He’s alright!” -she yelled at the others. –“Sorry, if I’m not who you were expecting to wake you up, kitty-cat.”

“W-What are you t-talking about?” -Chat Noir asked her. It was hard for him to talk, so, he was choosing the words carefully, 

“Oh, come on, it’s me you’re talking to, Adrien.” -Dragonfly smiled. –“Don’t tell me you wouldn’t rather have a certain ladybug to come and check out if you were okay?” -she joked. Like pretty much everyone else, she knew about his crush on her, and vice-versa. She could go on the rest of the night with the jokes, but she knew her friend was in pain, and would want to know about the rest of the team. –“Don’t worry, she’s okay. Nino’s taking care of her right now. What about you? Are you hurt?”

“M-Maybe a broken rib or t-two… I-I-I d-don’t know.” -Chat Noir declared, as he tried to get up, but was unable to move.

“Don’t worry, if you have anything broken, Nino can fix you up. Let me help you.” -Dragonfly said, as she helped him to get up, putting his right arm over her neck. As she did that, Chat noticed she had a couple of scratches on her left cheek, as well as a bruised eye. –“Come on, try to stand on your feet. I’m too tired to fly, so you have to help me, okay?”

“O-Okay.” -Chat waved his head, as he began to walk, at a very slow pace.

“Use your staff to help you walk.” –Dragonfly told him.

Step by step, the two of them walked the distance that separated them from the place where Carapace was tending the rest of the Miraculous Team, with a little help from Rena Rouge, who was the first one he used his healing powers on. While he healed them, the fox heroine made sure to keep those who were in greater pain talking, to help them distract from the pain. When they arrived, Carapace had just finished healing Panda Rouge and Antelope, and was going to start healing Queen Bee. Seeing his best friend alright, the turtle hero was about to greet him, when Antelope beat him to it.

“Well, if it isn’t the great Chat!” -Antelope clapped his hands, as Chat smiled at him. –“Thanks for saving the day, man! We wouldn’t be here, if it wasn’t for you.”

“C-Can’t… take all the c-credit for i-i-it. B-But thanks.” -Chat smiled.

“Let me just take care of Chloe, and I’ll help you out in a minute, bro!” -Carapace waved at him, as he focused on curing Chloe. She had sprained her ankle, just before Spectrum created his gigantic body, and was complaining that it hurt, more than her bruised wrists and her back. –“Okay, Chloe, try not to move…”

“Just get on with it, you idiot!” -Queen Bee spat the words, angrily. She just wanted the pain to stop. –“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean that.” -she declared. As soon as she called him that name, the bee heroine regretted saying it.

“I know, it’s the pain talking. Don’t worry. You called me worse before.” -Carapace said, as he set her ankle in place, making her scream in agony. –“Okay, I’ve set it on place… I think.”

“You think?!”  -Queen Bee screamed at him, again.

“Save your strength, Chloe.” -Louve Grise tried to calm down her friend. She had her left arm broken, in at least two places, but did not say a thing. Instead, she acted strong in front of her best friend, to give her courage.

“I’m sorry, it’s the pain talking… it’s just that… what if you don’t heal my injury properly? You don’t have a medical degree or anything. And, what if I end up limping for the rest of my life?!” -Queen Bee panicked. Just the thought of her ending up with a limp problem for the rest of her life, was enough to make her skin crawl.

“Don’t worry. You’re going to be fine, and you’re not going to limp for the rest of your life. I may not have a medical degree, but after twisting an ankle, you get to know how to put it back in place again.” -Carapace said, as he used his powers on the girl’s leg. As soon as the healing energy was applied to the injured area, the pain began to disappear. –“Although, if I were you, I would think about faking an injury, to explain the possible temporary limping.” -he suggested.    

After healing the bee heroine, he asked Louve if she wanted him to look at her arm, but she insisted he should take care of Chat first, who was in way worst shape than she was. Going to where the feline hero had sat, with a little help from Dragonfly, he smiled to his friend.  

“You gave us quite the scare, when you didn’t get up, bro.” -Carapace told him, as he kneeled in front of the feline hero.    

“Y-You know how I am…” -Chat joked about it, trying to hide just in how much pain he was. –“A-Always… Always looking for… a big finish.”

“Yeah, I know.” -Carapace smiled. –“Now, let’s see if you have anything broken… oh, looks like a couple of broken ribs. Don’t worry, I’ll fix you up in a jiffy.”

“H-How’s Marinette?” -Chat Noir asked him, worried about her well-being.

“Ayla’s over there with her. She’s in a worse shape than you are.” -the turtle hero pointed to where the scarlet heroine was. She was lying on the ground, with Rena Rouge kneeled by her side, talking to her.

“Then, why didn’t you help her?” -Dragonfly, who was sitting by Chat’s side, asked him, in protest.

“Because she insisted on getting everyone else healed, stating that she could wait a little longer.” -Carapace answered her.

It was a noble act from the leader of the team. But even so, it did not feel right for her to tell Carapace that. Chat Noir nearly told him to go and help her out, but he knew just how persuasive she could be, when she wanted to. As he fixed up Chat, Flamingo and Corbeau Noire were in each other’s arms, like they used to do, when one of them was either too tired, or scared of anything.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” -Flamingo asked her girlfriend.

“I should be the one asking you that.” –Corbeau Noire told her, always smiling. –“You were the one who jumped in front of me, to protect me.” -she declared. The two of them were always looking out for one another, but this time, the pink heroine was faster, and prevented Corbeau from even trying to save her.

“I’m fine, don’t worry.” -Flamingo said, always smiling. –“I only ended up with a few scratches… and maybe, a few bruises around my shoulders and knees.”

“And one broken shoulder.” -Corbeau Noire reminded her. She would have not broken it, if instead of jumping in front of her, she would have run, leaving her behind, like she ordered her to do.

“Which Nino has already fixed. I’m alright, Juleka.” -Flamingo told her, always smiling. She was relieved they were alright, and that everything turned out okay in the end.

“Just checking, Rose.” -Corbeau Noire smiled at her. The only thing preventing her from kissing her right there, was the fact that they had promised to keep their relationship a secret from the others, until they saw the time was right to tell them. So, instead, she hugged her, while being careful. She did not want her to scream in pain.

And not far from them were Grizzly Bear and Forest Doe, talking to one another. From the two of them, Doe was the one the injuries were less serious. Apart from a couple of bruises and a headache, she was alright. Grizzly on the other hand had a dislocated shoulder and was trying hard not to show any pain in front of her. As they talked, he remembered about the ring that was in his pocket, and how he was going to ask her to be his girlfriend that night. But, after all they went through, he decided to save it for another occasion. Right then, he just wanted to be with her, and talk to her, like they always did.    

Laying on the grass, Ladybug tried her best to ignore the pain she was in. And to do that, she was nearly forcing Rena Rouge to keep talking to her. While talking, her brain would be too busy processing the conversation, to remind her of the pain. Still, with a slightly dislocated shoulder, some broken ribs and a broken leg, it was no easy task to ignore the pain.

“Everyone’s alright, girl. Adrien saved us.” -Rena Rouge smiled to her friend.

“I know… He did a w-wonderful job.” -Ladybug smiled, trying not to think about the pain. –“If it wasn’t… f-for him, we would probably not be h-here, talking.”

“Marinette, please, don’t talk so much. You got to save your strength, until Nino comes here to fix you up.” -Rena kept smiling at her. Right then, she wanted to believe that both her voice and her smile could be as good as any painkiller.

“I can’t… my leg’s killing me!” -Ladybug exclaimed, as she tried to hold her tears. Marinette had never broken any bone, and that kind of pain was completely new for her. That had been their toughest battle yet, and that was one of the results of the outcome.  

“You should have let Nino cure you, when you woke up. You’re hurt. You look like you were hit by a speeding truck, girl.” -the fox heroine declared.

“But so were you.” -the scarlet heroine pointed out the fact.  

“I had a broken wrist, that’s nothing compared to you, or Sabrina, or Kim there, girl.” -Rena reminded her. –“I know you want to be a good leader and friend and all, but you got to think about yourself too. Even Master Fu would agree with me on this one. An injured or dead leader is a worthless leader, Marinette.” -she said.  

When she heard her best friend say those words, the scarlet heroine realized that she was right. And she also realized that maybe, she was unfit to lead the team. A good leader should have seen that last scheme from the akuma coming and should have come up with a quick way to counterattack it. But most of all, a good leader would have never stopped believing they would prevail in the end.

“Don’t tell anyone, but… for a moment, I lost all hope. I thought we had lost.” Ladybug sighed, once more trying her best to hold her tears. –“I really did… what kind of a leader am I, when I think that there was nothing we could do, Alya?” -she said. One could hear the sadness in her voice, mixed with the pain.

“Girl… you’re being too hard on yourself. You’re just human, like all of us.” -Rena smiled, as she gently squeezed her hand. –“I’ll tell you what kind of a leader you are. You are a thoughtful, compassionate and brave leader, who sees the best in everyone, and who’s always thinking about the others well-being. You’re a great leader… a leader with a great heart, who can be a little clumsy at times, but that’s okay. It’s part of what makes you so amazing. If we wanted a perfect leader, then we would ask Nathaniel there, to draw us a cyborg.” -she joked, tying to make her smile, and manging to do it.

“I don’t really deserve you as a friend… I would give you a hug, but…”

“Save it for later, girl. For when you’re back on your feet.” -the fox heroine said, as she noticed Carapace and the others closing in on them. –“Guess the doctor will see you now.” -she joked.

As Carapace healed her, everyone formed a circle around Ladybug. While the healing energy healed her body, she looked at her friends, and saw that they all looked better. The turtle hero had healed them, and apart from a few bruises, aching muscles and exhaustion, they looked alright. Still, they were going to need a couple of days to get their strength back.

“There, I think you’re all set.” –Carapace smiled. It was only when he finished healing everyone, that he realized just how exhausted he was. –“I think I’m going to sleep for a whole day straight.”

“Allow me, milady.” -Chat Noir smiled, as he gallantly offered his help.

“Thank you.” -Ladybug smiled back, as she grabbed the feline hero’s hand, and pulled herself up. Her leg was still hurting, but it was nothing compared to what it hurt when it was still broken. The blue-haired girl believed that in a couple of days that pain would disappear, and she would be good as new.

“Guess that’s that.” -Forest Doe declared.

“I would say so. The day’s been saved, and we did a pretty good job saving it.” –Louve Grise said.

“Yeah, but I think there’s one of us, who deserves a little bit more credit than the others.” -Panda Rouge said, as he looked at Chat Noir.

“Oh, come on, I was just lucky. If you guys had been in my shoes, you would have done the same thing.” -Chat Noir smiled, a little embarrassed. –“Plus, I can’t take full credit for being the one who saved the day. My bro, Nino, and you, Nathaniel, you also saved the day today, by giving me the tools to make it happen.”

“Well, if you only want a third of the credit, I’ll take one of the other two thirds. We’ll do this like when Miss Bustier assigns us a team project.” -Carapace joked, making the others laugh a little.

“Speaking of Miss Bustier, do you think she returned to normal?” -Flamingo asked the others.

“I bet she did. I mean, everything went back to normal, so I guess she’s not a statue anymore.” –Arachnid declared.

“Imagine if from now on we had a statue as a teacher. That would be ridiculous!” -Queen Bee exclaimed. –“Our parents would flip at the thought of it… well, at least mine would.”

When Queen Bee said those last words, an alarm went off inside Ladybug’s mind, reminding her of something rather important.

“OH MY GOD!!!! My parents and Manon! I completely forgot about them!” -Ladybug exclaimed in panic. –“I bet they tried to call me, to see if I was alright.” –she said, as she grabbed her yo-yo and checked for any calls or text messages. What she saw, almost gave her a heart attack. –“65 missed calls?! My mom’s probably thinking that I’m already in the city morgue!”

“Calm down, girl! Just call her back and tell her you’re alright.” -Rena Rouge said, as she too checked to see if she too had any missed calls or texts. –“22 from my mom. 10 from my dad. And 78 texts from my sister, Nora. Why am I not surprised?”

“I got 30 calls from Nathalie… if she told my dad that I didn’t pick up the phone, he’s going to ground me, until the next millennium.” –Chat sighed, already imagining the probable outcome.

As the others also checked to see how many missed calls and texts they had been sent during all that commotion, Ladybug called her parents to assure them she was alright. With the phone ringing, she wondered what she would say to her parents.  

“Hello?” -Ladybug said, at the sound of someone picking up.

“Marinette, is that you?! Are you alright, sweetie?!” -Sabine asked her daughter over the phone. Just by the tone of her voice, one could tell the woman was quite anxious.

“Mom! Yes, I’m alright, don’t worry. What about you, dad and Manon? Are you alright?” -the scarlet heroine asked her.

“We’re fine, honey. We managed to find a place to stay, while all this happened.” -Sabine told her, as she signalled her husband that their daughter was alright. –“I don’t know exactly what happened, but something tells me Ladybug and her friends must have had a busy night tonight.”

“I know. The akuma that turned the city into Halloween Town showed up in our school.” -Ladybug told her mom, but immediately regret doing it.

“The akuma?! In your school?! Are you sure you’re really alright? You’re not just saying that you’re alright, because you don’t want me to get worried?!” -Sabine exclaimed, bombarding her daughter with questions.

“No, mom, don’t worry, I’m okay, for real. My friends and I managed to find a place to hide. We’re alright, and we’re beginning to head back home now. I’ll see you, dad and Manon there.”

“Oh, okay. But remember, be careful.” -Sabine said, as she hung up.

Finished with the call, she saw the others also talking to their parents, explaining what had happened, and lying about where they had been. The only thing left to do was calling it a night and go home. But, the last part of that plan was going to be a little tricky. Exhausted, with almost no strength left in them, having to cross half the city was going to take them a lot longer than usual, and that was if no reporters showed up. In fact, she was quite surprised none had showed up yet to interview them. Luckily, she had a plan to get everyone home in a jiffy. She just needed the help of someone, who on that night, had been one of the three team members who had saved the day. Waiting for him to end talking to his parents, she walked to Panda Rouge, to ask him a little favour.

“So, is everything okay with your parents?” -Ladybug asked Panda Rouge, who had just finished talking to them. 

“They’re both fine. My mom’s still a little in shock, because she was almost giant spider food, but she’ll be alright.” -Panda Rouge smiled. –“What about yours?”

“They’re both fine, and so is Manon.” -the scarlet heroine said. –“Look… I know that you already did so much this evening, but… could I ask you one last favour? Could you use your drawing skills, and come up with something to take us all home?”

“No problem, Marinette. I still have a little bit of juice in me. And I got just the thing to do that job.” -he smiled at her.


	26. Epilogue

After such an eventful night, every member of the Miraculous Team fell asleep, a few seconds after their heads touched their pillows. They could admit that it had been the toughest Halloween night of their night, but that in many ways, it also had been the most memorable one. They would later find they all had the same dream, or the very least, dreams that were incredibly similar. Dreams that took them back to that eventful night, where they battled Spectrum's forces. But like all dreams, what happened in them was not how it happened in real life. Instead of fighting werewolves, they fought mutant wolves. Instead of fighting ghosts, they ended up fighting against angry teachers, among other things.

When morning came, and they woke up, they could hardly move. Their bodies were a mass of aching muscles, and all of them thanked the fact that they did not had to go to school that day. They feared someone would suspect something about them. Even with what happened, they should not feel that beat. As she stretched her arms, Marinette could not help but to let out a couple of yelps, from all the pains she had.

"Ouch! Ouch! Ow… oh, my poor back!"

"Marinette, are you alright?" -Tikki asked the blue-haired girl, as she too woke up. Exhausted as she was, she still found the strength to greet her bearer with a warm and kind smile.

"M-More or less, Tikki. I feel like I was run over by a truck." -Marinette said, as she slowly pushed the cover of her bed, trying not to move too quickly. –"Ouch…"

"Well, it was quite the night, yesterday." –Tikki told her.

"I bet you aren't feeling very well, either." -Marinette said, as she looked at the little scarlet kwami, who looked pretty bushed herself.

"No. I'm tired, and I'm a little hungry." -Tikki smiled.

"Oh, you poor kwami, you." -Marinette smiled, as she picked Tikki up. –"You had a terrible night."

"No more than yours, Marinette." -Tikki told her. Even though she had transformed into the girl's battle suit, the kwami felt her pain and suffering during the battle against Spectrum.

"Maybe, but after last night, and the extra mile you went, by lending me your powers for countless hours, you deserve to eat every cookie, macaron and slice of pie there is in my parent's bakery." -she smiled, grateful to always have Tikki by her side.

"Thanks, Marinette. But I'll settle with a plate of cookies." -Tikki smiled back.

"Alright, if you insist. Let me just check what time it is, and I'll go down to the kitchen to get you that plate of cookies." -Marinette declared, as she grabbed her cell phone and almost had a heart attack, when she looked at the time. –"Oh my gosh! It's almost 1 in the afternoon! I overslept!" -she screamed, both in panic and in pain, when she heard a knocking sound.

Hearing someone knocking at the trapdoor, Tikki quickly hid behind Marinette's stuffed cat pillow.

"Marinette? Honey are you awake?" -The voice asked the girl, as the trapdoor opened, to reveal none other than Marinette's mom, Sabine.

"Y-Yes, mom, I'm awake." -Marinette answered her. –"I'm sorry I overslept. But…"

"Oh, it's okay, honey. You had a very rough night yesterday, with what happened." -Sabine told her. She was right about her having had a rough night, but not the way she thought. For all intents and purposes, Sabine believed the only thing her daughter had done was running for her life, while hiding from all the monsters that appeared on the streets. –"I was just asking, because Manon wanted to say goodbye to you. Her mom is here to pick her up."

"She has? I mean, sure, she can come up." -Marinette said, as she slowly got out of bed.

As she left the bed, Sabine went down the stairs to let Manon climb them up to Marinette's room. The little girl had had a great time at the Dupain-Cheng residence, but now that her mother had come back from her latest assignment, it was time for her to go home. During the time she spent there, she had been captured by Madame Romani, saved by the Miraculous Team and made an official keeper of their secret. Things that she would never reveal to anyone, not even her parents. To her eyes, Marinette and her friends were more than just superheroes. They were her friends, who made the city of Paris, and the world, a safer place.

"Marinette! You were amazing last night." -Manon said, whispering the last part, to not give away the teenager's secret, as she hugged her. She had wanted to congratulate her, when they got home, but fell asleep before she could.

"Ouch! Sorry, Manon, no hugs today." -Marinette smiled, a little uneasy, as the little girl broke the hug.

"Oh, are you hurt?" -Manon asked her, worried.

"A little bit. But don't worry, I'll be fine. Nino did a good job patching me up." -Marinette smiled, winking her eye. –"What about you? Did you have fun yesterday… you know, excluding the monsters that showed, of course?" -she asked Manon.

"I did. I got lots of candy!" -Manon exclaimed, as she opened her backpack and showed her a bag where she had placed, every last bit of candy she collected the night before. –"I ate a couple of chocolates, when we were at Master Fu's house, hiding from the monsters. But the rest, it's all here." -she smiled.

"You were at Master Fu's place?" -Marinette exclaimed, as Tikki showed up.

"Yes. He helped me, your mom and your dad, by letting us stay with him, while you thought the akuma." -Manon chirped happily.

"Did my mom and dad… did they…" -Marinette asked her, before she interrupted.

"No, they didn't suspect a thing." -Manon smiled. –"Master Fu pretended he didn't know me, and I did the same. It was fun to pretend we didn't know each other." -she giggled.

Before Marinette could ask anything else, she heard Manon's mom calling her. After being away from her daughter for so long, Nadja just wanted to spend some time with her, and that meant one thing for Manon. It meant that she was going to be showered in gifts and trips to her favourite ice cream parlour. Not wanting to keep Nadja waiting, the blue-haired girl kissed Manon on the cheek and told her that to be a good girl. Tikki also kissed her goodbye, and promised her that next time, they would play more.

"And, there she goes." –Marinette sighed. –"I wish she could stay a little longer, but I'm glad her mom is back, and she can go home to her." -she declared.

"I'm going to miss her around." -Tikki smiled. Other than Marinette, Manon was the only other person in that house, the ladybug kwami could talk to. She had gotten used to her presence, as well as not having to hide, when she was around.

"Don't be sad, Tikki." -Marinette smiled to her kwami. –"If I know her mom, she'll want me to babysit her again, very soon." -she kept smiling. –"I know I promised you a plate of cookies, but before that. let me just take a shower first. And then, I'll go get you those cookies you deserve so much. That, and maybe a little snack for me too, so we, while watch something scary on the TV."

"Scary? I thought after what happened last night, that you wouldn't want to watch another horror movie or series for a long time."

"Usually, you would be right, Tikki. But, truth be told, I couldn't celebrate Halloween properly yesterday. So, I'll have to settle with the next best thing. A horror marathon and lots of sweets and candy." -Marinette said, with a cheerful tone in her voice.

"If that's the case, why don't you call Adrien and ask him, if he and Plagg want to join us?" -Tikki suggested to her.

The idea was good, but Marinette was a little unsure. On one hand, there were very little opportunities for her and Adrien to be alone. But on the other hand, she was a little afraid of being alone with him, fearing she would do something embarrassing or silly, that would make him think.

"I… I don't know, Tikki." -Marinette hesitated. –"I-I'm sure he's super exhausted from the fight last night, and he'll probably wants to rest and…"

"Or, maybe you're just afraid of being alone with him." -Tikki shot at her, with a smug on her face.

"I-I am not!" -Marinette exclaimed. She knew exactly what her kwami was going for. Tikki was using reverse psychology on her. But this time, she was going to turn the tables on her kwami. She was going to call Adrien, but not just him. -"And to prove that, I'm going to call him and invite him over, right now! I'm going to invite him, and Plagg, and you're going to have to listen to him talk about nothing but Camembert cheese, all afternoon!"

"No! Not Plagg!" -Tikki exclaimed, pretending she did not want Plagg around. Inside, she was smiling, knowing she had tricked her.

"Too late, Tikki!" -Marinette smirked, as she grabbed her cell, and called Adrien. After a couple of seconds, she heard the blond's voice. –"A-Adrien? I-It's me… I was thinking… do you want to come and watch a movie or a series at my place?"

The End (For Now)


End file.
